JellyBabies
by CheesePie
Summary: Deidara is 21 and in need of a place to stay, what happens when he is taken in by his highschool friend Itachi who just happens to live in an apartment building inhabited by the Akatsuki? will he side with Itachi and get his life together or fall into the hands of the crime life? WARNING: Yaoi, SasoDei & other Akatsuki pairings implied. DLDR. rated for violence & language.
1. Part 1

**This is my new story, Jelly Babies. Do not ask why i have called it that, i have no proper answer.  
beleive it or not, this started out as a ****_'The Girl Next Door' _****story but that's too mainstream.  
This is an AU, beware of the OOC. Also i've made it first person, following both Sasori and Deidara, why? because i can and i wanted to and so i did.**

**WARNINGS: eventual Yaoi/Shounen-ai = SasoDei & other Akatsuki pairings. Deidara and Itachi actually getting along. Itachi talking. don't like don't read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto/Shippuden or any of it's characters. if i did, Sasori and Deidara would've skipped the Kazekage Rescue arc and gotten married instead. No Jelly babies were eaten in the writing of this story.**

* * *

_JELLYBABIES_

_CHAPTER ONE – Deidara's P.O.V_

The fight with my parents – or my step father, to be specific – is a really long, dull story. To sum it all up, my father is a prick, he's always hated everything I've done, even if I haven't done a whole lot of respectable things in my life, I still think I should get recognition for trying. And well, my mother, she just goes along with what he says, she's weak that way I guess. Thank god I didn't inherit that weakness; I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I just blindly followed what other people said.

That's one thing – among many – that I hate about society. They say you've gotta stand in line, listen and do what you're told, you've gotta blend in.

Whatever, I don't believe any of that.

We should all be individuals; we should all make our own ways in the world.

But that's not what this story is about.

See, after my parents kicked me out, I had to find another place to stay, I didn't have a job or any money, and practically all I had were my clothes and my jelly babies. I ended up having to move in with my old high school buddy, who unfortunately lived halfway across the country. I'd be paying that one off for years.

Itachi was waiting for me when I got off the plane, I was extremely grateful for him taking me in but I just knew he was going to force me to get my life together. Personally I didn't see the point in living a life I knew I wasn't going to enjoy.

I'd much rather be a hobo then have a job.

"'sup?" I said once he was in hearing range, I had only one bag besides my carry on and it was easy enough to spot among the usual black and brown bags. Mine just happened to be yellow.

"You haven't changed a bit since high school," he commented, looking me up and down with onyx eyes.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Well you're one to talk, un."

He looked just as I remembered him; long dark hair tied back loosely with bangs that framed his face, pale skin and obsidian eyes, not to mention the strange lines going down his face which he insisted _weren't_ wrinkles.

"Ah, but the difference is, I've grown up."

I gave him a challenging smirk and said, "oh yeah un, how's that?"

"Well, I've got a job."

"Uh-huh."

"I've got my own place."

"Yeah…?"

"And I've got enough money to take in my lazy bum of a friend."

I shook my head, "no way, I'm way more grown up then that, un!"

He gave me a disbelieving look rather than voicing his skepticism and I tried to think of something that made me more mature then he was. No job, no money, no employable skills, I lit fires for fun and went through at least one pack of jelly babies a day – hey, I love jelly babies, they're like little jelly bundles of happiness.

"Hah, I got it un! I can burp the entire alphabet!"

"Without stopping?"

"Without stopping, un."

"Go on then."

So I stood there, in the middle of the airport and burped the entire alphabet, only losing track of which letter I was up to, twice. When I was done, Itachi didn't look impressed. He was definitely amused, but not impressed.

"You're still just a kid."

I decided to ignore his comment, for the time being. After all, we were going to be living with each other now, so there would be plenty of time to get him back. We went outside where his car was waiting, all the way on the other end of the parking lot. He drove a black Audi, a pretty nice car for someone who claimed to work as an assistant.

"You should get a motorcycle," I said absently once we were in and I had located my jelly babies.

"Those are dangerous."

"Well, live dangerously then."

Itachi gave the smallest of smiles and said, "That's what I have you for."

It was true; I had lived more on the edge when we were in high school, always getting into trouble in and out of class. They called me an attention whore – though some of them just called me a whore – but I didn't mind at all, bad attention still counts for something, after all. And center stage alongside me was mine and Itachi's best friend, Hidan, another bad influence, attention whore type person, though he went above and beyond and not always just to get noticed. Some of the things he did were scary.

Tobi usually came along for the ride with us, he wasn't necessarily a friend so much as he was a fall guy, but still fun to have a round. And Itachi, when he didn't have anything better to do – which was most of the time – would let us drag him down with us.

Lots of good mucking around in school did me. But even if I had the chance to relive it all, I don't think I'd change a thing. Actually I'm just glad I didn't end up in prison like Hidan.

The car stopped outside a five story brick building, it looked pretty old and just by looking around I could tell we weren't exactly in the good part of town, but I suppose it was better than living under a bridge.

"This it, un?" I asked, getting out and staring up.

"Uh-huh," he kept the car running and didn't get out. I looked back at him questioningly and he said, "Can't park here," in explanation.

I nodded, "I'll head up then, what number?"

"13B."

I headed inside, my yellow backpack slung over my shoulder and my carry on full of jelly babies suspended on my other shoulder. I was disappointed to see there were no elevators and decided right then that I might not leave the apartment very often.

The walls were a simple beige colour and the floors a sickly grey, there were sections where dry wall had been torn away and the original brick work was visible. On the left wall were the mail slots and at the end of the narrow little room were the stairs. A single light hung in the middle of the room and a security camera was positioned where it would get a perfect view of the room, probably to look over the single bike someone had left out here.

I began my climb.

There were four doors in each hall I went through, all a bright orange colour. Each hall only illuminated by a single light. I saw a few people; an old woman and her dog, what looked like a teen mum and her kid and what I'm pretty sure was a drugged up hooker.

I was definitely going to fit in here.

Our room was on the fourth floor and the entire hall smelled of smoke. Our apartment was the first door on the left. I walked up to it, happy to finally have somewhere to live; I reached out to open the door when I realized Itachi had neglected to give me a key.

Dammit!

I banged my head against the wall a couple of times, thoroughly frustrated, until it started to hurt, at which point I decided to just sit down. With my back pressed against the wall, I repositioned my bag so I had better access to my jelly babies. My iPod was flat, unfortunately so music would have to wait, but as long as I had my candy I was happy.

I sat contently, waiting for Itachi and ignoring the sound of a door opening, I could only imagine the kind of neighbors you'd get in a place like this.

"You waiting for someone, Ms.?" the voice sounded bored and as though the person didn't really care whether I answered or not. I heard the all too familiar sound of a lighter and the hall was soon filled with the smell of fresh smoke.

I frowned, not looking up but feeling anger swell under the surface.

"actually un, I'm a boy," I said, trying not to let it show that not only was I angry, but I got that sort of thing a lot.

"Sorry," he said, not sounding very sorry at all. He paused to exhale a thick cloud of smoke before continuing, "It's just that, you look really feminine, especially with that long hair."

Without really meaning to, I puffed out my cheeks, pouting down at my jelly babies. My hair wasn't _that_ long.

"So are you waiting for Itachi?" the guy asked.

"Maybe I am, un, what's it to you?"

"He's out, probably won't be back for a while."

"Are you trying to get rid of me, un?"

"Clever kid," the guy said, "if Pein sees you out here… well it won't be pretty. Really I'm just looking out for you."

By then I'd had enough and looked up to yell at whoever was talking to me like I was a child, but before I could, Itachi interrupted.

"Sasori, I thought you had given up smoking."

I caught a glimpse of red before my attention was stolen by Itachi.

"Quitting isn't in my nature."

My eyes flitted between the two; my own roommate looking on with his kind obsidian eyes, and this sexy stranger – god I'd only been here ten minutes and I was already starting – with bored chocolate brown eyes and blood red hair.

"Just don't let Pein catch you," Itachi warned.

Sasori only nodded in response, barely sparing me a second glance.

Itachi pulled out his key and began to unlock the door. Moments later, I was inside but my new red-headed neighbor hadn't once left my mind.

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

I entered my apartment, placing the light down on the counter and heading to the fridge, in the hopes of finding it fully stocked but instead finding only inedible trash and cans of Pepsi. I would've had one to substitute a meal, but I had done that for the last three meals and was already fighting down sugar hype.

"What took you so long?"

My roommate sat on the couch watching one of those crime shows, for some reason he got really into them.

"I was meeting or new neighbor," I said casually.

He turned around, eyes sparking with interest, "'Tachi's roommate?" he asked, I nodded and he said, "So what's he like?"

I shrugged, "looks like a girl," I said, "seems like a brat. Nothing to worry about."

Kisame smiled, showing off his sharp teeth, before going back to his T.V shows.

I knew I should probably go shopping, but I had to wait for my pay to get transferred.

As for the whole situation with Itachi and his new blonde roommate, well I could only hope the kid didn't get in the way or anything. I liked my life the way it was – well, most of the time but I tried not to think about the times I hated it – and I didn't need some brat coming in here and ruining that.

I could remember when Itachi first moved in; the apartment next to ours was the only one vacant, the poor boy. It was about three days after he moved in that Pein noticed him, the results of that particular meeting would've been worse had Kisame not taken an immediate liking to the kid, now he's one of us.

He's alright I guess; quiet most of the time, polite as well and he makes Kisame happy. I suppose Pein has softened some since I met him, but I couldn't see him accepting this one in as well; he doesn't like many people, hell he barely even likes us.

This new kid, he seemed like a loud one, defiant as well and I guess that aspect of him was sort of exciting.

I didn't recall ever hearing his name though we all knew about him; we all knew how he and Itachi had gone to high school together and how he had been kicked out of his parent's house. But that was all any of us knew.

Right then as I stood in the kitchen, contemplating whether or not to order out and give the delivery guy an IOU, I wasn't sure whether I felt unprecedented hate for the kid or curiosity as to who he was, but I made a conscious decision right then to keep as far away from him as I could.

It scared me – and I _won't_ admit that to anyone else – a little the way his image remained fresh in my mind, even if I'd only caught a glimpse of him. I even began to up play the depth of his visible blue eye, the glow of the hair that covered his other eye and hung back tied in a loose half ponytail, his annoying speech impediment, the childish smile he gave his jelly babies.

Whatever. What kind of a person eats jelly babies, anyway?

"Hey, why don't you sit down?" Kisame asked, snapping me out of my thoughts and cancelling my inner monologue, which could've gone on forever.

I shook my head, "I think I'm coming down with something, I should probably go lie down."

With that, I walked off to my room, praying deep down to any deity that would listen, that I really was just coming down with something.

Paste your document here...


	2. Part 2

**Well i was going to wait before uploading a new chapter, because i thought it would take more time to right the next story... but i was wrong so here's the new chapter.  
Also a quick thanks the the reviewers (i think i spelled that right?) of the last chapter, omg i freaked out when i saw i had reviews, seriously you made my day :D**

**Warnings: eventual Yaoi/Shounen-ai = SasoDei & other akatsuki pairings. Itachi actually using his voice, bad character placement and bad attempts at developing story plot. don't like then please, do not read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto/Shippuden or any of it's characters, if i did then Itachi would be locked up in my closet.**

* * *

_CHAPTER TWO – Deidara's P.O.V_

A screeching sound woke me from my dreams, though those were mainly full of the stranger who lived next door. I jolted up, yelping as though under attack and instinctively pressing my back against the wall. I opened my eyes and once they adjusted to the light, I backed away even further – if that's even possible – because seeing Itachi's smirking face upon just waking up, is possibly one of the scariest things I've ever experienced.

I calmed a bit and my eyes trailed down, seeing a fog horn in his hands.

"What the hell un?!" I yelled, "What are you, in freaking kindergarten?"

"I didn't go to kindergarten," he said, "and it's eight o' clock."

I rubbed my eyes and looked over at the clock on my nightstand. Really, only eight o' clock, the day had barely even started!

I pulled the covers up over my head and said, "I don't care un, leave me alone!"

Seconds later, the same screeching noised filled my ears, scaring me out of a beautiful half sleep.

"Stop doing that, un!" I demanded.

"Then get up," he told me simply.

Once I realized that I wasn't getting back to sleep, I threw the covers off and sat up slowly, giving my roommate a tired, irritated look.

"Okay, what is so important, that you needed to wake me up at eight o' clock in the freaking morning, un?!"

"I found you a job, you need to be ready to leave in an hour." With that, he left my room.

Dammit! I didn't want a job! If I did, I wouldn't be here; I'd have stayed home and got a job at Mc Donald's or something, anything to get my parents off my back. Stupid Itachi!

I was almost tempted to go back to sleep, but thoughts of what Itachi might do to me if I did, scared me off. So I got up sullenly, and took a shower, throwing on a pair of jeans and the first shirt my hands touched, before going to see what was for breakfast. I could smell food and hear talking coming from the kitchen.

"Why is it you're the only one around here who ever has food?"

I walked into the room to see a blue haired woman standing at the oven, looking questioningly at Itachi.

"Perhaps it's because I have a real job," he replied, "and I don't waste my money on frivolous things," he looked pointedly at the redhead sitting across from him, who pointedly poked fingers.

Besides Itachi, Sasori and the girl, there were four other people in the room, sitting around the table. A large blue man with dark blue hair and lines along his face that looked almost like gills, sat next to Itachi, three spaces away sat another tall guy, tan skin, red and green eyes and many visible scars that looked a bit like stitches. Next to him was a guy with orange hair, numerous piercings and really weird eyes.

I'd heard about the blue guy from Itachi, apparently they'd gotten really close over the year my friend had lived here. His name was Kisame, if I remembered correctly. The other three, including the girl, however, remained a mystery to me.

"Why should I pay good money for food, when I can get it for free here?" the guy with the stitches asked.

None of them had noticed me yet.

"Greed is a sin, Kakuzu," Itachi remarked.

"Yeah, but I'd say it's the least of my sins, right now," he replied.

I could've stood there watching for a while longer but my cover was blown by a sneeze.

"Bless you," the woman said automatically.

Kisame, Kakuzu and Pein (I concluded that this one was Pein through the process of elimination) looked at me, guard up, but Sasori acted like he didn't even notice.

"H-hi, un," I stuttered, feeling nervous with so many unfamiliar eyes on me.

"This is my roommate, Deidara," Itachi said before anyone could ask. "Deidara, these are…"

"We're the Akatsuki," Pein said before Itachi could finish. He gave me a cold glare which felt like it went through my skin. He was scary, to say the least.

The girl it seemed had finished her cooking and was now plating bacon and eggs.

"Don't mind him," she said, sparing me a sweet smile, "he just gets a little grouchy in the mornings. My name's Konan," she looked me up and down, "are you hungry?"

I nodded sheepishly, considering I hadn't eaten at all last night and I had barely enough jelly babies to last me the morning.

"He survives solely on a diet of jelly babies," Itachi explained.

Konan frowned, "no wonder you look like you haven't eaten in weeks."

There were two empty spaces at the table – when I moved in, I wondered why the table was so big – and Konan took the seat between Itachi and Pein so I was forced to sit between Sasori and Kakuzu.

Despite my uncomfortable position, I was starving so I dug in, acting as though the food wasn't scorching hot. Everything was quiet except for the banging together of plates and forks, until Sasori broke the silence by saying, "when's the next job?"

I snuck a glance at him to see his eyes trained on Pein.

"Might be a couple of days yet, why so impatient?"

Sasori looked irritated right then, "I need money to…"

"Subsidize your smoking addiction?"

Sasori hesitated, perhaps weighing his options before going on the defensive, "alright who told you?" he glared around the table, his eyes not skipping over me, "was it Kakuzu? I bet it was, I bet he'd just love to have me out of the picture so he can claim my share!" he pointed an accusing finger at Kakuzu, who appeared unfazed.

"No you idiot," Pein said, "I can smell it out in the hall. If you're going to lie to me, at least do it properly."

"Oh…" he trailed off, withdrawing his hand and staring down at his food angrily. I guess that's what addictions do to you; thankfully I didn't have one of those. Wait, where were my jelly babies?!

"There's a job later today, low-key, should bring in about $1000. I'll give you the address later, you'll be heading down there with Kisame," Pein said.

Itachi frowned, "nothing dangerous, right?" he asked.

Kisame offered a toothy grin as reassurance, "chillax 'Tachi, if anyone gets hurt it'll be them."

"So what are we after?" Sasori inquired.

"A necklace, it should…" Pein was interrupted by a high pitched beep emitting from Itachi's watch.

"Time for work," he stood and took his plate to the sink. I quickly ate the rest of my food, knowing he would drag me along with him.

Konan stood as well, pausing to give Pein a kiss, she said, "don't you boys get into too much trouble," smiling knowingly at them.

Itachi placed a key on the table, "lock up when you guys are done here," he said.

I was able to shovel the last remains of food into my mouth before he grabbed me by the ponytail and proceeded to drag me, literally, out of the house.

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

Hmm, so his name's Deidara, whatever, watching Itachi pull him out like that was quite amusing, but work is more important.

Pein told us we'd be looking for a necklace, most likely around some girl's neck, he showed us a picture of both the necklace and the girl, and both were… well not exactly what I'd call beautiful, though the girl sort of reminded me of Deidara. Although, her hair was a lot lighter and her eyes were a different shade of blue. She had the fringe thing going on as well. It'd be easy to pull this one off, I could just tell.

Pein also informed us that Oto was also after the necklace, he wouldn't tell us what was so important about it, just that he'd found a buyer.

The plan was simple really; at exactly 2pm every day, Ino (the target's name, apparently) was downtown at a café we all knew really well. It would be my job to go in there and charm the necklace off of her somehow. Not exactly mission impossible. I personally didn't think I needed Kisame's help, but Pein insisted that since Oto was involved, things could escalate into a full on war with the way things were between us, even over a simple necklace. Kisame had to be there in case things went south and I needed back-up but even if I didn't, I knew my blue friend wouldn't pass up the opportunity to punch out a few of their guys.

Kakuzu left soon after he had eaten, having his own side projects to take care of and Pein left after briefing us so it was just Kisame and I left in the apartment and I ended up doing dishes to keep my mind off of counting my remaining smokes.

It was alright, I'd be paid later after this job, and hopefully the money would come in quicker than my last pay check. I shouldn't have quit my job. Correction; I shouldn't have gotten myself fired. Well I suppose the security of being part of the Akatsuki got to my head and I figured I wouldn't need my job but…

_Smash._

I guess I was holding the plate too tightly because I broke it.

"I need a smoke," I muttered, drying off my hands hurriedly.

"You should just quit!" Kisame called from over by the T.V.

"Fuck no," I said right before slamming the door behind me.

I've gotta say, there's nothing better than the first cigarette of the day. Not only is it a great way to relax, but it gives me time to reflect.

You know, I could've been a lawyer. Or a doctor or I could've been something, something other than this. I could've been happy, I could've been an artist – although Pein says there's an art to what we do – or I could've at least kept my job as an art teacher. I could've been married with kids by now; I could've had my own house by now.

Even if I never wanted any of those things, looking back I see only a life made of could haves, and nothing I could actually be proud of. Ever since I had moved into this building, I had thrown all my dreams away and gotten stuck in this world. Of course, this was the only affordable place, I was sure that's how they suckered new people in, and I sure had a lot to try and leave behind.

For starters there were my parents. They died when I was ten and since then, my hometown was just one big sad pity party. My grandmother didn't make that any easier for me, sometimes she'd be too nice and sometimes she'd act like I didn't exist, I think she was confused about how to deal with me, I mean, I had no trouble taking care of myself. School was alright I suppose, I was the top in all my classes but always pushed to try that extra little bit harder, how dull right?

Yeah, I suppose I did lead a dull life back then. Hell, even my girlfriend thought so; she fell in love with my cousin, claiming I was _too serious_ or something like that. Whatever. The real thing I was running from was blame. I left town about a month into the investigation of a murder which I had committed. It had been years since then, I doubted there was any danger of them convicting me now, but I was too deep into this world, to return back to my own.

Once I'd been in this building for a month, Pein started to take notice of me, probably because of my smoking. Then one day, out of the blue, he offered me a job, something small and easy and I really had nothing left to lose, so I took it.

Things started to get more and more serious and eventually, I had to move in with Kisame, somehow still unable to make rent but I was pretty well acquainted with everyone by then and an official part of the Akatsuki.

I think the reason I never left, is because I still had nothing left to lose.


	3. Part 3

**Wells, third chapter is ready now... hopefully there's no plotholes or anything cause i get super annoyed when their is and i freak out and know that i can't take it back and that really bugs me...**

**WARNINGS: Yaoi/Shounen-Ai, awkward character placement, weird pick-up lines/styles, cliffhanger type thing and more bad attempts to develop storyline**

**Disclaimer: i do NOT own Naruto/Shippuden or any of it's characters, if i did, then i'd take Gaara to school with me and get him to use his sand to defend me from work.**

* * *

_CHAPTER THREE – Deidara's P.O.V_

He got me a job as a waitress, waiter, whatever the point was that I had to serve coffee and random bakery items to strangers.

It wasn't all that bad I suppose, there were a couple of cute guys I got to talk with. Nothing promising but it was fun nonetheless.

Konan worked with me, she showed me how everything worked. Not that it was complicated in the slightest, just that I was lazy. _And_ I had a lot of time to talk to her between serving people. It wasn't a very busy day, so far.

"So um, what's up with the whole, _Akatsuki_ thing, un?" I asked her.

We had already discussed the obvious topics, like boys.

She smiled sweetly, "oh I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you."

"What, how come, un? I won't tell anyone!"

"That's right, cause if you did, Sasori would get hurt. And you wouldn't want that, would you?" she gave me a knowing look and smiled at the blush that spread across my face like wild fire.

"What do you mean, un?" I asked, _trying_ to composure.

"Oh come-on, it's _so_ obvious that you like him!"

"Nuh-uh un!"

"Well maybe not to _you_ but you're a boy, you don't typically notice these things till it's too late."

"Okay, well say I _did_ – not that I do, un – have a little crush on him, then could you tell me about the Akatsuki?"

She thought about it for a while before saying, "Okay, I'll tell you. But only because I know you won't tell. See, the whole thing was sort of Pein's vision, it started out just me and him but then Kakuzu moved in, he was already into shady stuff and always ready to make a little extra money so he was easily recruited. Then Kisame came along, he found it hard to find a normal job so he was another easy recruit. Sasori moved into the apartment your living in now but he couldn't always hold down a job. We recruited him and he moved in with Kisame and we became the Akatsuki." She said all of this in hushed whispers between people, though there were barely any here at all.

I listened and nodded occasionally, keeping the appropriate amount of eye contact and when she was done, I had another question, "so what do you guys do?"

"We steal shit."

"Like…?"

"Anything. Anything Pein can find a buyer for, we sell. Sometimes people come to us and ask us to do things for them and if they pay high enough, we deliver."

"And what about Oto, un? What is that?"

"They're basically the same thing, only we were here first and they have no morals, they'll take on even the lowest of jobs. Pein sees them as our official enemies but they're barely anything to worry about."

At that point, Konan had to stop talking and serve some girl who'd just come in. she was a pale blonde and had light blue eyes though her hair covered one of them. She had an awful necklace on, it seemed like just a clump of metal, no patterns, no colors, no jewels, nothing.

When the girl walked away, Konan turned to me and said, "See that necklace?" I nodded and she continued, "Ugly right?"

"Un," I agreed.

"Well that necklace is paying the rent this month."

"Huh, _that_ necklace, un?"

"Yuh-huh. Sasori and Kisame should be here in about fifteen minutes, right in time for our lunch break. Once they've got the necklace, they'll hand it over to us where it'll be safe incase Oto intervenes."

I looked at her incredulously, "wait, we're a part of this, un?"

"Yup. Usually I'm not, but this is a sensitive job; if Oto gets a hold of that necklace, we're all screwed." She looked at me, amber eyes burning with concern, "will you be alright?"

I nodded, "it's not like its rocket science or anything right?"

"Right."

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

"Let's go, I don't want to be late."

As usual, Kisame was taking his sweet time and we had to travel all the way downtown in twenty minutes. Not that we wouldn't make it, but I hated the thought of keeping anyone waiting.

"Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a knot. It's not like that necklace is going anywhere," he said.

"Wrong, it could fall into the hands of Oto scum," I reminded him.

He quickly locked the door to Itachi's apartment and said, "Fine, come on."

We all knew the consequences of letting Oto take something we were after. Although I couldn't understand what was so important about this particular necklace. There was no gold or jewels so you couldn't melt it down and resell it but the value could've been solely sentimental to our buyer.

Whatever it wasn't my job to worry about things like that. I was a thief; I stole things and passed them on. I got my cut for doing, not for thinking.

We got to the café and I knew we were in a safe place; Konan worked here after all and Pein would never, even unintentionally, place her in harm's way. Even if she insisted – and we all knew – that she could handle it. I suppose that's love at work, right?

Kisame went in first. This was a three part plan; I'd go in there and somehow get the necklace without her noticing, Kisame would take it and pass it over to Konan who would then make a scene, giving me an opportunity to leave.

And hopefully, by the end of the day, I'd have enough money to buy smokes.

I waited about five minutes before walking in. the place was half empty and the target was easy to spot, sitting alone, reading a book – or at least pretending to. Kisame sat two tables away, furthest from the bathroom which meant Konan would be…

Wait a second, what was the blonde brat doing here? I wear, if he got in my way, I'd kill him.

An alarm on my watch went off. My time to shine.

I walked over to where the girl sat, staring down at her book with uninterested eyes. She was a college student; about nineteen. I could see the necklace around her neck and kept my eyes there.

God the things I'd do for money.

I hated this part of my job; seducing people. It made me feel like a prostitute who stole from my clients. Although, the people I stole from technically weren't my clients, the ones I sold to were… okay, the analogy sounds better unexplained.

She seemed to notice my presence and looked up at me, her pale blue eyes held less than half the innocence Deidara's held, though she was younger and certainly looked the part, there was sort of a self-righteous air about her and the way she smiled up at me, eyes gleaming it seemed almost as though she had been expecting me.

Not me, Sasori the thief but me, some random older guy, here to chat her up.

Naive, like most of the people I met here, male or female, it didn't matter because they only saw my face, my smile, my body but never the dark intentions that hide beneath my eyes. That's the one mistake they all have in common, that landed them in the same place: trouble.

"Um, can I help you?" she asked, attempting to sound rude. I knew her type; a few ridiculous lines and a charming smile, she was an easy target.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just, you look really familiar," whoa, wrong line, wrong line!

She frowned up at me, "well I don't think I've ever met you before," she smiled up and said, "I think I would've remembered meeting a hottie like you."

I put on my signature smirk and invited myself to sit down, in the seat closest to her, of course.

"You're right, I _definitely_ would've remembered you," I said.

Pein has always said I'm the best pick pocket he's ever seen and my talents don't only extend to pockets. I kept inching myself closer, my arm slipping back as I kept the conversation flirty and distracting, making sure to hold her attention the entire time. I had the necklace in my hands within a matter of seconds and only moments later, it was in Kisame's hands, he walked past just as the bell connected to the door, rang.

It was only twenty seconds after that that Konan let out an ear piercing scream.

"Eeee!" she stood, stumbling backwards, a chair tipping over, "spider!" she pointed at nothing

All attention was on her and I was quick to make my escape, I smirked, Konan was being resourceful again.

All was well; it had gone perfectly, without a hitch. Or so I thought, until I noticed two key things; Deidara was gone and there were Oto members all over the place.

Damn that brat!

I locked eyes with Konan on my way out; she knew the drill; find the others and abort mission. At least we already had our prize.

I didn't have to go far before I found him; I heard his voice even over the raging sounds of the city.

"Hands off un! Do I look like a hooker to you?!"

I ran towards the sound without sparing the action a second thought as it didn't register in my mind that he wasn't one of us. All I knew was that he was in danger.

He was in the alley, fighting off two of Oto's top scumbags; Sakon and Ukon.

"Leave him alone," huh? Where the hell did that come from? I didn't care what happened to him… did I?

Seeing me, Sakon pulled a knife and held it to Deidara's throat.

"Give us the necklace and I'll let him go," he said, smiling wildly.

Surprisingly, Deidara didn't look worried.

"He doesn't have it so you might as well just kill me, un," he said.

"Quiet brat," I growled, silently I said, _"I'm going to get you out of this."_

Deidara laughed, "Whatever un!" he said, "just piss off, I can handle this myself! Go get your cigarette money or something, un!"

No idea where he got the impression that I don't care but… wait, I don't!

Dammit, there's no time for inner conflicts right now. I could see Ukon reaching for his gun; he was trigger happy, that one. But Sakon, he wasn't sure; his knife was shaking and too far away to do any actual harm.

I made a snap decision right then, probably would've panned out better if Pein hadn't gotten us guns, for situations like this. I pulled mine out and within a matter of seconds, I'd shot Sakon right between the eyes. Idiot. At least I was right and Deidara wasn't hurt.

Then I heard another bang and a scream and at first I thought Deidara had been shot; somehow the pain of that single thought had me unable to breathe.

But then the real pain came; the pain of being shot in the stomach, the pain of bleeding my life away, the pain of dying.

I sunk to my knees, clutching my stomach, realizing it was me who'd been shot. I could feel the hot, sticky red liquid all over my hands as everything went dark.

I don't know when I toppled over completely but I could feel the ground beneath me. I felt warm hands on my neck, feeling for a pulse and a shaky voice saying, "Sasori un? s-stay with me okay? D-don't go to sleep, don't close your eyes, un."

I hadn't realized my eyes were still open but suddenly they felt heavy, it was hard to keep them open, especially since all I could see was black.

"The ambulance will be here soon," Kisame sounded normal but I could hear Kona crying in the background.

I began to close my eyes slowly; it felt like drifting off into some kind of eternal sleep.

"Sasori, don't go to sleep! Don't go to sleep, un!"

He held my hand tightly, almost painfully tight but every part of my body was going numb and cold. I gathered enough strength, just enough to squeeze his hand, maybe give him a little false hope that I'd be fine.

"Stupid…" I choked out the word around my own blood which was now flooding my mouth, using my last breath of air I said, "s-stupid brat."


	4. Part 4

**New chapter, this one is all in Deidara's P.O.V.**

**i realised that in previous chapters, i forgot to mention that Sasori is Pan-sexual which basically means he bases his relationships on emotions and not on gender or appearance, so he HAS had girlfriends before, as well as boyfriends. and i just want to point out, Pansexual is not the same as Bi-sexual.**

**Warnings: yaoi/shounen-ai, Major drunken OOC Itachi, slight sad thoughts on Deidara's behalf and possible bad grammar**

**Disclaimer: i do not own Naruto/shippuden or any of it's characters because if i did, Naruto's parents would still be alive.**

* * *

_CHAPTER FOUR – Deidara's P.O.V_

You know that god awful feeling of guilt you get when somebody else gets in trouble for something you've done?

Well, I should've taken the bullet. I should've almost died. It should be me in the operating room, on a flat metal bed, with knifes slicing into me and blood being transfused into my body.

But you know the terribly ironic thing about all of this? I had the necklace, the whole time I had it. As soon as Kisame passed it over, Konan stuffed it down my shirt and told me to leave, that Sasori would soon follow and everything would be alright.

There was only one rule to it all; I wasn't to give up the necklace, not for anything.

Now I was stuck in the waiting room, chewing jelly babies that were of little comfort to me now.

Pein and Kakuzu came as soon as they heard; Pein went straight to Konan who had calmed herself down considerably since then, and Kakuzu went to talk with the doctors, apparently he was a viable match for blood, if they needed any. Itachi came a little while after, looking distraught, the worst I'd ever seen him.

When he saw us, he actually smiled – I know, scary – he tossed a packet of jelly babies at me and embraced the blue man who had been unable to stay still long enough to sit.

"Konan… it was hard to understand her over the phone," I heard Itachi whisper, "I… I didn't know what to think."

Kisame only nodded, running his hand soothingly through Itachi's black locks.

But then, Itachi got angry and started hitting Kisame, in a disoriented, almost drunk manor, yelling, "You said it wasn't dangerous! You said no one would get hurt!"

Kisame did the best he could in this situation, wrapping his arms around my friend and shushing him, telling him things would be alright but Itachi wouldn't be stooped.

"That could've been you!" he yelled, "you could be in there, dying! How was I supposed to know that you weren't?!" finally he settled back to a gentle, but angry whisper, "do you have any idea how hard it is for me to watch you put yourself in danger like that?"

Kisame continued to hold him, breathing in deeply he said, "You smell like vodka."

Itachi sniffed a couple of times and said, "Yeah, I got a little drunk on the way here."

"You didn't drive, did you?"

Itachi laughed a little bitterly and yawned, "No, I took a cab."

"Good," Kisame turned to me, "I'm gonna take him home," he said.

I nodded because I couldn't speak and because I knew a drunken Itachi wasn't good for anything other than absurd mood swings.

I don't know how long I was there just waiting, but right then everything just felt numb and cold. My breathing was robotic, just an instinct but not something I felt. Jelly babies turned sour in my mouth. My eyes remained open but I could barely see a thing.

At some point I think I drifted off but I didn't dream. Deep down I could still hear the gun going off and I could still see red, everywhere.

It would play on my conscience forever if Sasori died. After all, he didn't have to save me, I would've been fine on my own or I could've at least given up the necklace. God I bet Konan hated me right now. I'd hate me if I was her.

And if Sasori survived, I guess I owed him my life, right? If that guy with the knife didn't, the guy who shot Sasori certainly would've taken care of me. He got away though, once Kisame and Konan showed themselves, he ran.

"Deidara, Deidara wake up!"

Someone was shaking me, calling my name, bringing me back to reality. Pein.

"Huh? What's going on, un?" I sat up properly, my body ached, I rubbed my eyes and waited as things came into focus.

"I need the necklace," Pein said, he held out his hand for it.

"Oh, yeah, okay," a little looking around and I found the necklace around my own neck, where I had placed it while in the ambulance. "Is Sasori awake?"

Konan sat down beside me and gave me a look one might give a broken puppy. She looked a little broken herself, so I guessed right away that the news wasn't exactly good.

"He's out of surgery," she started, "but there were complications, we can see him but he won't be awake."

"What do you mean un, is he alright or not?"

Konan frowned, "they say he's in a coma, trauma induced or something like that. They're not sure when he'll wake up."

"That's right," Pein said, examining the necklace, "could be days, could be weeks, could be _months_."

"M-months, un?"

Pein looked up as though just noticing he was actually speaking with me, he gave a single solemn nod, as though to spare me from any further worry.

"So can we see him, un?"

Konan nodded, "just for a few moments, then we've got to get you home. Unfortunately we don't get a day off today; the world doesn't stop turning just for us."

Ugh, I couldn't stand the thought of working today. We'd already gotten half the day off yesterday though so I suppose it was only fair.

Konan helped me to my feet, supporting me while I got used to standing again and eventually she led me to Sasori's room.

He looked awful. Washed out, sick and limp. The amount of cords and pipes they had connected to him made me feel like throwing up.

You know, they say that with dying or dead people you could just pretend that they're sleeping, but not now, not like this. Sasori looked like he'd just been shot, like he had just had the life sucked out of him and clumsily put back in. he looked exactly how he was expected to in a situation like this.

And it was all my fault.

None of us made a sound and I didn't dare move. We were out of there almost as soon as we entered though I knew I'd be back. In that bed laid a man who saved my life, I couldn't simply abandon that fact.

* * *

Konan and I barely had an hours sleep between us before we had to go to work.

Work, I never thought I'd be using that word in relation to myself. But then again, a lot of things had been happening recently, that I never would've imagined.

I went through the motions at work, serving people, giving them smiles that I hid my true feelings behind, sharing meaningless words with Konan and just getting through it all. That girl wasn't there today; the one with the necklace. I imagine after she lost it, she would be in some kind of trouble, I knew that necklace better have been expensive especially considering the price_ we_ had to pay for it.

When Konan and I got off work, we headed to my place only to find everyone already gathered there, sitting around the large kitchen table and waiting expectantly for us. Itachi had gotten a sick day to deal with his hang over but now looked better, back to his old self.

"Sasori is out of commission," that was Pein's opening sentence. He dealt out equal shares of the money then got down to business, "and with him like this, he's really of no use to the Akatsuki and if the police start sniffing around this whole thing, it would be better if we had no connection to him on paper."

"So what are you suggesting, un?" I really couldn't help myself from speaking up and no one really tried to stop me. I think Itachi of all people, knew well enough to know sometimes I just needed to be angry. "You're just gonna cast him out into the cold and act like he never did anything for any of you, un?!"

Pein didn't look fazed by my outburst, but then again, why would he?

"What other choices do we have? He is in a coma, and therefore cannot work for us any longer. It would be best if we found a replacement as soon as possible and cut all business ties with Sasori."

I growled, glaring at him and then at everyone else for not objecting.

"What is it to you anyway kid?" Kakuzu asked, "You're not even part of the Akatsuki, and besides, this way there's less people to share the money with, until Pein finds someone new."

"I want to be, un."

"What?" both Kakuzu and Itachi asked with equal amounts of shock.

I ignored them and looked over at Pein.

"I want to join the Akatsuki, just until Sasori gets better. I'm fast, strong enough and I'm not afraid to die, I can do just as well as he can. Please… I-I just want to make things right, un."

Pein gave me a tired, annoyed look.

"Alright, I'll give you a two week trial during which time I'll also be searching for a replacement, if you do well you can keep the job until Sasori gets better," he looked at everyone else, "any objections?" he looked pointedly at Itachi.

I could see it in his eyes, the want to say no and I was thankful that he didn't.

"Alright, the next job is coming in tomorrow, this one's a little higher risk," Pein continued.

"Oto?" I asked. The image of that man was still fresh in my mind; I was going to kill him even if it was the last thing I ever did.

"No, this item is just under tighter security. Wouldn't have been a problem for Sasori, let's see how you handle it."

"I'll do my best un."

Later, when everyone had gone, Itachi still sat at the table giving me a look.

"Why would you go and do something stupid like this?" he asked me quietly.

I shifted uncomfortably, faced with the standard Uchiha glare which I had built up a resistance to, but after being apart for so long it worked just like it was meant to.

"I had to un," I told him simply.

"What do you mean?"

"When Sasori wakes up un, I want his life to be exactly the way he left it. If that means I have to put my life in danger then so be it, un."

"Pein might find a replacement anyway."

"Then I'll just have to do a really good job, won't I, un?"

"You could get shot. You could end up like Sasori or worse."

I smiled a brave smile at my old friend and said, "I'm not a child Itachi, I know what I'm doing."

He nodded, knowing how stubborn I was and that nothing he could say would change my mind.

"I just hope, for your sake, that you're right."


	5. Part 5

***sighs* i have had more fun then i'd like to admit writing this, so hopefully reading it is just as fun. Another chapter all in Deidara's P.O.V because Sasori is currently unable to talk or have his opinion written down.**

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, bad story plot, depressing thoughts once again on Deidara's behalf, Pein and Deidara scaling a buiding (Do not ask me where i got that idea) and more guns.**

**Disclaimer: i do not own Naruto because if i did, it would be about candy, no one would ever die and Yaoi would be everywhere.**

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE

The next few weeks were like clockwork and I was just one of the gears twisting and turning within. I woke up on my own and shared breakfast with the rest of the Akatsuki then headed to work with Konan unless there was a job that simply couldn't wait. Usually I was able to do them after work though. I visited Sasori during my lunch breaks, I had never been much into the whole eating thing anyway and the hospital wasn't too far from where I worked. Sometimes Konan would come with me but more often than not it was just me and Sasori.

I had heard somewhere that people in coma's could still hear you, so I kept him up to date with things and somewhere along the line, I had taken to calling him Danna.

I talked to him about work and the Akatsuki; things I figured he'd understand. I had to do many questionable things for the Akatsuki, though I think the first few times were Pein testing me. most of the missions placed me as either a distraction, a petty thief or both, one time I even had to wear a dress, as part of a disguise, not that I didn't protest a great deal but hey, I looked damn good in it. Even our target seemed to think so.

At the end of my days, I'd go home and exchange a few words with Itachi before collapsing with exhaustion only to wake up and do the same thing all over again. Yeah, it was slowly killing me I suppose but what else was I to do?

"I have the rest of the day off, un," I was sitting with him, as usual. He was looking a lot better but still nowhere near alive. "Kakuzu will be here to pick me up soon. It'll be my first time stealing something big, I'm kinda nervous."

No reply, as usual.

"Making a lot of money lately, un. Itachi says I'm too simple to know what to do with it all. Hopefully when you wake up you'll have some better ideas, un. It was all meant to be yours anyway; every bit that I'm not putting towards your rent cause Kisame can't pay it all on his own, un."

Still no reply, so I continued.

"Itachi's been spending a lot of time over there lately. If Kisame wasn't bound in by the Akatsuki, I bet they'd move away. As it is, un, Itachi will probably move into your apartment. Konan says you used to live where me and Itachi live now, I hope you don't mind doing it again."

Somebody cleared their throat from the doorway and I looked up to see Kakuzu waiting patiently. I nodded and grabbed my bag.

* * *

An urn. We were stealing an urn.

Apparently it held the ashes of someone really important, I don't know, Pein just told us to steal it.

He was a part of this mission, because apparently we were stealing from a big house. Unfortunately, I was the smallest so I was the one going through the window, but then, so was Pein. He and Kakuzu would serve as distractions but first there were the security systems to take care of.

Something interesting I had learned about Konan these past two weeks was that she was exceptionally good with computers and exceptionally good in our line of work, meant that she was able to hack computers.

The house was big like, scary big. It was so big, that if you took the house and divided it up into apartments exactly the size of mine, you'd have at least a hundred. Well it seemed that way from the outside, anyway.

Even back in my hometown, I'd never see a house this big; it was surrounded by so much open space, the kind of place I'd hate to live in. I worked better with closed, cramped spaces; small suburban houses were good but closed in little apartments were even better. They were easier sure, but easier to clean, and much harder to lose yourself in.

Konan stopped what seemed like a mile away, so as not to get caught on their radar. She kicked us out of the van so she could get closer while we had to walk. Unfair, I know but I did it anyway, walking in step with Pein and Kakuzu who assured me all systems would be down before we came into view.

Once we got into position; Kakuzu ready to play defense and distract the front of the household, and Pein and I ready to play offence round back, the hard part started. We had to scale the building in order to get in.

The urn was kept in a room on the third floor, far out of our reach.

I watched in awe as Pein proceeded to climb the building – not something I'd imagine the head of the Akatsuki to be capable of doing – using solely upper body strength to climb the drain pipe and hold himself up while getting the window open. It was my turn then and let me tell you, it's definitely not as easy as he made it look. Although I claimed to be strong, I lacked the upper body strength necessary to preform that particular task and ended up slipping as I reached for the window ledge. Luckily, Pein managed to grab my hand quick enough to catch me.

"We'll have to work on that one," he whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear, before checking around the corner to make sure no one was aware of our presence.

There was a single man guarding the door to the room we needed to be in, we stared at him from around the corner, sizing him up in case it became a fight. Of course, Pein had already foreseen this and turned to me.

"Konan has popped the lock to the door; you grab the urn and get out. Kakuzu and I will meet you back at the van in six minutes."

Before I could really ask, Pein made his way around the corner, I heard shouting and before long I heard running without hesitation I ran to the door, puling it open with a struggle, it was big and metal and led to a room with no windows. The urn sat on a pedestal in the middle of the room beneath a glass case which I couldn't lift. I couldn't break it, I couldn't move it, I couldn't do anything. I only had one choice and everything was about to go wrong. I could only ask that when we all went to hell, the others would forgive me for this.

_BOOM!_

The alarms suddenly went back online and rang, not that it would matter and not that you could hear them over the aftershock of the explosion. I was all caught up in the excitement and destruction of it all, so giddy and overwhelmed that I almost forgot to grab the urn. A lot of good such a risk would do me if I didn't at least grab our prize.

I stepped out into the hall, taking my sweet time and breathing in the sweet, Smokey smell. But before long, I heard yelling and I looked towards the distant light of the window and I ran towards it, ignoring the voices that followed me. I placed the urn carefully in my shoulder bag and prayed to god it didn't break as I climbed down.

Guns were fired at me, bullets missed and my heart pounded at the thought of dying before I got to see Sasori again but true to my word, I wasn't afraid to die and I kept going. This urn was our prize and getting it was all that mattered.

In a way I suppose this line of work was turning me into a zombie, content to risk everything for something frivolous and empty but in another way, I had nothing left to lose.

My parents had forsaken me – yes, that is the word I would use – I was losing my best friend, I worked as a waitress – for god's sake, I'm a boy and every time someone wants my attention, they call _Miss!_ Truly the only light in my life was the cold embrace of stolen goods and the knowledge that everything I did will eventually benefit Sasori whom I was beginning to care for much more then I cared about my own safety.

So I did it all for him. I scaled the building for him. I entered the room for him. I detonated the bomb for him and now I would gladly take a bullet just to deliver this urn for him.

I knew, all along as I ran across the grass, I knew that my reasons were foolish and childish and possibly signs of some mental disease. I knew but I kept running. They stuck a bullet in my shoulder but I kept running until I reached Konan.

Pein and Kakuzu son followed and we drove away, three smug faces and my own face painted with a weak smile as blood leaked from my body.

I presented the urn and Pein gave me a proud smile, "great job. But next time try not to blow anything up."

Kakuzu was in the process of patching up my arm, we were going to the hospital but he said I was losing too much blood too fast and apparently he was a med school drop out with enough experience to help me.

I watched Pein stare at the urn as though it were the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"$5000 for this one," he said, "must be someone really important in here." He opened it up to have a look.

My cellphone rang and with my free, non-injured arm, I answered it. Probably Itachi, I thought.

"Hello, un?" I asked quietly, I was dizzy and not sure if I'd heard correctly but my heart began to swell, "W-what un? C-can you repeat that?"

Whoever was on the other line kept talking, repeating what had just been said as the van stopped outside the hospital despite the pain and slight, niggling fear, I smiled.

"Yes un, I'll be right there."


	6. Part 6

**Okays, this chapter is all in Sasori's P.O.V. you know why? because i can, i wanted to and so i did. sorry if it feels like this story is going too fast... im not even sure there ****_was_**** a definitive way to go about completing the plot of this story, in fact i didn't even use a complete plot.**

**WARNING: Yaoi/shounen-ai and slight depressing thoughts on Sasori's behalf**

**Disclaimer: i do NOT own Naruto/shippuden, unfortunately. if i did... *starts daydreaming***

* * *

_CHAPTER SIX – Sasori's P.O.V_

Everything was numb and sore, my vision was gone but I felt the pressure of closed eyelids. An incessant beep filled the room and it smelled like something I could only describe, as _clean._

My mind went on overdrive, wondering where I was. Had Oto captured me? Had I been abandoned somewhere? Driven out by the Akatsuki?

I tried to remember and a scene flashed in my head. I was standing in an alley with two guys; Oto scumbags. One had a knife, the other had a gun. I was fighting, fighting for something, almost to the point of desperation. I had to do something.

I pulled my own gun, I aimed quickly and fired, one bang then another and a scream…

DEIDARA!

I sat up and my eyes snapped open. The beeping increased. I ignored the pain and the burning of the light on my eyes. I recognized the place now. I was in a hospital, I had been shot yes I knew that but where was Deidara? What had happened to him? Was he alright?

I swear, if I had been shot for nothing I was going to bring the brat back to life just so that I could kill him myself for dying.

A nurse ran into the room, just as I was getting to my feet, once again ignoring the pain. I pulled out wires and tubes they'd connected to me and walked towards the door.

The nurse looked at me with concern in her green eyes, the brightness of her pink hair was almost as bad as the lights on my eyes, "sir, you need to get back in bed, you aren't properly healed," she said.

"Don't care," I grunted, pushing past her.

"Sir I must insist. I don't want to have to redo your stitches," she grabbed my arm with surprising strength and pulled me back into my room. "We've already contacted your wife so you can just relax until she gets here."

I pulled my arm away and looked at her as though she were the stupidest person I had ever met.

"My _wife?_" I bit out.

"Uh… yeah. About this tall, blonde, she visits you every day; I just assumed she was your wife…"

"Blue eyes?"

She nodded.

"Like, _really_ blue?"

"Yeah but I mean, one of her eyes is always covered so I can't tell about the other one."

I smiled deceivingly at the nurse, "good, I'll just wait for her here."

The nurse left the room and I stayed put, amused that Deidara had once again been mistaken for a girl and overall relieved that he was alive.

He and I had never really spoken much, I think there was that one time out in the hall and the moments right before I was shot but he was just the type of person that crept under your skin. From that first moment I set eyes on him, yeah I was slightly afraid because the feeling was so unfamiliar and so immediate. I didn't know what it was that I felt but it was strong.

Right now, I already felt like I knew him. I don't know if it was a dream or not, but I could hear his voice in my head, just talking about things, anything really. His speech impediment somehow became endearing and his voice became some sort of beacon in the dark.

Just how long had I been out?

Well it didn't matter; all of those things were an illusion, constructed by the danger of the situation. I didn't care for him, not at all and I wouldn't pretend like I did.

Or was I pretending that I didn't?

Dammit, what was with me and all these internal conflicts lately?

A flurry of yellow rushed into the room, quickly followed by blue, Konan smiled kindly at me. When the ball of yellow stilled, Deidara stood staring at me, blue eyes bright but disbelieving. He wore a tight black tank top covered in blood and I saw Kakuzu's clumsy work attempting to stop the flow.

"What happened to you?" I asked while staying as indifferent as I could manage.

Deidara looked at his shoulder as if just noticing he was hurt, but smiled anyway, "nothing much, Danna, un."

Danna? In some part deep down in my mind, the name felt familiar.

"He got shot," Konan said, "and he needs to get checked out," she looked pointedly at him.

"Nuh-uh, I'm fine un! Kakuzu said the bullet went right through… that's good, right un?"

"Quit being a brat and get yourself checked out," I demanded, already sick of the warm feeling that seemed to radiate from him, "it's not like these stupid nurses are gonna let me go anywhere."

"Alright, un," Deidara rushed back out of the room just as quickly as he'd come and I was able to silence the part of me that that demanded to know how he'd been shot and waited patiently for them to return.

Not long after they'd left, however, Pein and Kakuzu entered the room.

"You look… better," Pein said, he looked me up and down with skeptical eyes, "should be able to come back to work soon right?"

My body ached, every part of me was sore; I could barely breathe let alone keep my thoughts on the right track long enough to speak and I knew that if I tried to get out of bed again I would hurl.

"Yeah. When's the next job?" I asked.

"We did one tonight, stole an urn from some state house."

"Yeah? How'd that go?"

He took a blue and white china urn out from his bag.

"I'd say it went alright. Deidara got a little carried away and blew the room up but we got our prize in the end and that's all that matters."

I frowned. So that was how he'd gotten shot. I see, while I was out someone had to fill in for me, which led me to wonder.

"Exactly how long have I been out?" I asked.

Kakuzu answered this one, "Two weeks," he said. "Could've been worse though, doctors said it could've been months."

"So I've been out of commission for two weeks? I'm surprised you haven't all forgotten about me."

Pein laughed, "We would have found a replacement for you but Deidara stepped in before we could even try. For someone with no criminal record, he steals like an expert."

I nodded, "has he been awarded a permanent place in the Akatsuki?"

"No, he was quite adamant that he would only fill your place. Once you were up to working again he'd step aside. Not that I won't try to rope him in."

"He's got that look in his eyes," Kakuzu added, "the same look you had before you joined."

I knew that look all too well. A look of loneliness. A look of emptiness. A look of regret.

I could tell Deidara that those feelings just get worse as you go. The only connections you could make were with your fellow Akatsuki, everyone else was a target or a danger to your plan. Some, like Kisame, chose to ignore that and some, like Pein chose to embrace it, then there were those, like Kakuzu who decided to throw the rules away entirely and embrace the enemy. But for me, the feeling just grew. And the emptiness couldn't be filled, not with any amount of money or pretty little treasures. And regrets wouldn't be washed away by false acceptance.

He and I, well we were stuck this way for however long we may live.

I felt if I told Deidara all of this, he wouldn't listen so I decided not to waste my breath.

"Kisame's given my room away, hasn't he?" I asked after a while, remembering something, a sliver of a conversation I'm not sure was real, "to Itachi, right?"

"Well, not exactly but you can't stay there anymore. Most of your stuff has been shifted into Itachi's old room, it's a bit of a mess in that apartment so I guess you'll have something to do while you recover."

I cringed, imagining the mess the brat had made on his own. I could tell, he was a messy one. I'd have to live with him; he'd be there all the time. And somehow, I was looking forward to it. After all, misery certainly does love company.

Deidara and Konan came back after a while. After Pein, Kakuzu and I had spent a good ten minutes discussing future jobs, our future with Oto, our future in general. It seemed like Pein was all caught up in the future, too busy to notice his friend's inner turmoil. Not just my own but Kisame's, he'd been feeling the pressure ever since he met Itachi, and Kakuzu who had fallen for a member of Oto.

Even Konan, I could tell as she made her way into the room, had her demons. But if Pein noticed any of it, he certainly never mentioned it.

Deidara's shoulder had been seen to and a lot of the blood had been washed off but without the crimson colour as a distraction to the eye, it was plain to me that he wasn't alright. His clothes were tight but I suspected they were new as there was no way he was that thin before. His eyes were tired and a lot less blue then I remembered them and the smile he wore was painful.

Perhaps it was all the work he'd been doing with the Akatsuki that was keeping him up at night? Perhaps.

"You look awful," I stated.

He let his smile slip, "yeah well, it's been an awful two weeks."

"I heard you've been working for the Akatsuki."

"Un, it's been pretty cool. I didn't know you guys made _this_ much money," he smiled again, "if I had known, I would've joined sooner, but that's your job, right un?"

"Right."

Pein stepped in at that exact moment, "I've been meaning to talk to you about that," he said, "why don't you and I go for a little walk?"

The blonde put on his bubbly, falsely bright smile and followed Pen out of the room while I felt helplessness sink in along with the realization that Deidara was doomed to my fate.

But, at least I knew I was among others who understood.


	7. Part 7

**wowz, first time i have ever missed an update...**

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai... that is all**

**Disclaimer: NO.**

* * *

_CHAPTER SEVEN – Deidara's P.O.V_

I had a difficult decision to make… okay I give, I'm lying.

Did I want to go home? No. did I want to spend the rest of my life as a waiter? No. was there any other opportunities for me in this life… um, no.

I didn't _want_ to remain a criminal, it made me feel empty and broken up on the inside but, I didn't want to be alone either. Akatsuki offered me a way to make connections, to be a part of something, to have a life where I could actually sleep at night, not thinking about a past I wish I could just leave behind.

So, Pein took me out of the room, spelled it out for me real clear and I listened carefully to all the rules and requirements of the Akatsuki. Pein asked me, do I want to join? Is this what I want?

I nodded; I said yes, I asked him to let me be a part of the Akatsuki. And, that was that.

I had nothing left to lose, so I let the Akatsuki have me.

The next week, I was in and out of hospital, with Sasori of course. He insisted he could do things on his own, but most of the time I ended up helping him, when the pain weighed out his pride. I liked helping him, being helpful, feeling necessary. I knew he needed me and that felt good.

I hadn't told him that I'd joined the Akatsuki for real. Not yet. But I kept doing missions for them and more often than not, I'd get hurt. Just small things; cuts and bruises, a sprained wrist, some light burns here and there, nothing too big. I think he was suspicious at first but by the end of the week when it was _finally_ time for him to get out of the hospital, he must've known.

Sadly, I wasn't able to be there, I was on a mission.

Steal a dog, they said. It'll be easy, they said. The dog won't bite, they said.

It was plain and simple to me as I sat in the emergency room, receiving rabies shots, that they were lying. Dogs will always bite the unfamiliar hand that attempts to feed them; I should've known that, I had a dog when I was much, much younger.

"First failed mission in months," Pein sighed. He and Itachi had come to get me from the hospital.

"I'm sorry, un. I didn't know the dog would be so vicious."

My hand was bandaged now and there was no pain. I had definitely felt worse in my time, both physical and emotional.

"That's alright. I'll remember not to send you out on anything animal related from now on," Pein said.

"We picked up Sasori from the hospital while you were out," Itachi said, "he was asking about you."

"Un, what did he say?"

"Well he said, and these are his words, not mine, he said 'where the hell is that stupid brat, it's just like him to be late. I swear, if he's gotten himself hurt again, I'll kill him.'" the words sounded strange in Itachi's voice but I could still imagine them coming out of Sasori's mouth.

"He wasn't too angry, was he, un?"

"He was livid. Really doesn't like waiting, that one."

Great, I had to go back to that.

And he would've found the apartment in a mess; I could tell that he was the clean type, just like Itachi whereas I didn't give a stuff whether I lived in the dirt and dark.

Itachi pulled up by the side walk and told me to get out, he couldn't park there. Pein decided he'd wait a while before going up, so he stayed in the car with Itachi and I made my way up.

13B. that's where I'd been living lately. I wondered briefly as I opened the door, whether this was where I'd die. I felt like a frightened child going to face his parents after doing something wrong, though there had really been no discipline for me as a child so I didn't _really_ have anything to compare the feeling to.

He sat there, waiting for me; the apartment behind him cleaner then I'd seen it since Itachi left. He stared at me, no right through me as though I weren't there and his voice suddenly shocked me out of a strange silence.

"Where have you been?" he asked voice cold but faster than usual, the venom in his words wasn't hidden at all.

"Out, un," I replied, feeling like I'd been cheating on him, but there was nothing to cheat on at all.

"What happened to your hand?"

"I got bitten, un." Dammit, why'd I say that?!"

He got up, out of his chair and made his way steadily towards me, "bitten by what?"

"a-a d-dog, un."

"How'd you get bitten by a dog?"

"Well you see un, they have these things on their faces called _mouths_ and it turns out, they don't like strangers very much, un."

The look he gave me after my moment of sarcasm was scarier than any look I had _ever_ received from my parents. Maybe I _did_ want to go home.

"I-it was a joke, un," I muttered.

"I'm not laughing brat."

"What is this un, a freaking interrogation? What right do you have to question me like this, un?"

He ignored me and asked another question, "What did Pein say to you the other day, in the hospital?"

"What's it to you, un?"

"Did he ask you to join the Akatsuki?"

"So what if he did?"

"Did you say yes?"

I didn't answer. I was definitely afraid to. Afraid of his reaction, right now he looked like he was about to hit me, I mean yeah, he'd been shot and was still recovering but _still_.

"How could you be so stupid?!"

"Un, shut up! Why do you get to act like you care, all of a sudden? You hold no stakes in my life, it doesn't matter to you whether I live or die so quit acting like you control me, un!"

By then we were at each other's throats, so close that it literally hurt when either of us yelled, the sound echoing in my ears. I could only imagine what our neighbors thought, not that it mattered though because they fought sometimes too. But never like this. I could feel the anger radiating off of his body as he stared me down, it was like fire, if that makes any sense, burning, invisible fire rolling off of his skin. I was terrified and excited at the same time, feelings I didn't generally feel on a daily basis.

"I don't control you but I wish I could, that way you wouldn't go out and do stupid things and I wouldn't have to stay here and worry!"

I opened my mouth to argue, to question, to fight back but he kissed me before I could. It was rough, messy and fueled by unbelievable anger, anger caused by… I don't know, he had no reason to be angry! He tasted of smoke and Pepsi, and it was almost painful to keep going but I had no reason to pull away so the kiss only ended when Sasori broke it.

"I hate you, _so_ much," he breathed, "you just have to go and make everything, so much harder than it needs to be."

He backed away from me, stood still for about three seconds while deciding what to do next and stomped out of the room a few moments later, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

What was I thinking leading up to the kiss?

I don't god damn know!

I was just _so_ angry, I couldn't believe it. Angry because I knew, I _knew_ that if he didn't stop this, I was going to lose him and I couldn't get the message through with words. It felt like I was about to hit him, just to get him to shut up and listen. But that wouldn't have gone down very well and I never would've forgiven myself.

That's why I had to get out of there.

No, I wasn't angry at him, I was angry at Pein for making him do this, and at Itachi for bringing him here and at his parents for kicking him out and at anybody who stood in the way of him having a good, normal life.

I stood out in the hall for a while, cooling off since I knew I couldn't make the trip down the stairs on my own right now.

I needed to think and do it fast, to get rid of these thoughts of uncertainty in my mind.

It used to be so simple; eat, sleep, work, repeat.

I wanted to go back, to when times were simple.


	8. Part 8

**heyz, new chapter *yay* okay, i am sorry this chapter is so short, but it's sort of a transitional chapter, things are about to pick up a little more and they're going to go from the way they are now (which is realatively good...) to bad. so beware.**

**WARNINGS: Yaoi/Shounen-ai Itachi being a bit of a bitch, Sasori ****_also_**** being a bitch... that is all.**

**DISCLAIMER:if i owned Naruto, would i be writing FANfiction of it? well... yeah i would actually cause i'll be damned if im not a fan of my own work... but STILL i sadly do NOT own it or any of it's characters. i DO however, own the PLOT.**

* * *

_CHAPTER EIGHT – Deidara's P.O.V_

It had been two days and Sasori hadn't so much as mentioned the fight, let alone the kiss. In fact, he kept his distance from me at all costs and though it was upsetting, it made working with the Akatsuki a hell of a lot easier.

But it seemed _living_ would never get any easier, since up to two weeks ago, the only reason I even got out of bed in the morning, was for Sasori. Now there was no reason at all and I just did it. just because. Because there was nothing else for me to do and I didn't want to stay in my room and just _be._

Now one of the oddest things I have ever had to steal was a man's finger.

You heard that correctly and don't go getting any ideas about me running around cutting people's fingers off; Pein told me that morning as we ate breakfast in Itachi's apartment, that the finger had already been cut off and I was only going to retrieve it.

Why? Well for once, he explained himself.

The finger – or thumb, to be precise – belonged to a very important man and was in fact, _key_ to the next part of our plan. _Literally,_ the finger was a key.

We were about to attempt probably one of the stupidest heists in Konaha history, even in Iwa history, which was really saying something.

It was simple really, my main part in this mission was to get the finger but there was a catch; Oto had it. I had to single-handedly infiltrate Oto headquarters and steal a cooler that had the finger in it, bring it back and at a later – but still very near – date; I'd have to accompany Pein and the others on a mission to break into Konaha bank. For the finger, belonged to one of the only three people able to access the underground vaults.

"Are you sure this mission is right for him?" Konan asked. Her eyes were full of concern as Pein finished giving me the details.

The main Oto hideout, was stationed in the north side of town, I'd have to take a bus in order to get there and back, though Kakuzu said he had somebody on the inside who would assist me in my mission, there was still a huge chance that I would get hurt.

"Of course; Oto has seen the rest of our faces, he's the only one who'll go unnoticed," Pein explained, he gave me a confident look and said, "and besides, Deidara is one of our best assets right now, so why not use him to his full potential while we can?"

"Ukon will recognize him," Itachi said quietly. He didn't look up from his food, just sat there and acted as though he had said nothing.

"If I see him un, I'll kill him before he gets the chance to recognize my face," I growled.

Of course I still remembered him; he was the reason I was in this mess in the first place.

"Are you sure it'll be that easy?" Konan asked me.

"Of course! Easy as pie, un!"

"Which you can't make," Itachi noted dryly.

"Un, shut up!" I tried to glare but my face ended up in a – very manly, I assure you – pout.

"Well as long as you're sure," Konan said, "I mean, I wouldn't want you going out there if there was a chance you thought maybe…"

"Hell no, un, don't even think about for a second. You'll see later when I come home with that guy's finger."

Kisame laughed, "Listen to how confident he is!"

Itachi shot him the standard, near-petrifying Uchiha glare and the message was very clear to Kisame and everyone else: _don't encourage him._

I smiled disarmingly at Itachi, a habit from our high-school days when he would look like that; and said, "Aw don't worry about me Itachi un!"

A high pitched beep emitted from his watch and he looked down coldly, not even acknowledging me, "it's time for work."

_Stupid Uchiha._

It seemed this job could end up costing more than I initially thought.

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

Ha! That brat managed to get himself on Itachi's bad side this morning but amusing as it was; it didn't take from the situation at hand.

Deidara says he can handle it and I'd like to believe him or at least I'd like to be able to not care but things just didn't seem to work that way anymore. I'd gotten attached to him somehow, despite my subtle but _real_ efforts not to.

And there was NOTHING for me to do around here! I was _so_ bored and the worst thing? He was in the next room, getting ready to leave on what might be his last mission, mumbling to himself about _stupid Itachi_ and how he was going to show everybody he _could_ do things on his own and he _could_ do them right.

I hadn't spoken to him since we had that big argument, more in an effort to protect him from further arguments, anger and random kisses, on my behalf. Okay really it was more of an effort to protect _myself_, but at least I had the decency to lie and _pretend_ I was doing something good.

Not that he didn't still talk to me, he'd come home and talk about what had been going on at work lately, sometimes he'd mention guys he'd met at the café and I would have to resist the urge to go out and kill them. I already had two murders under my belt; I didn't need a third.

Deidara came into the room suddenly, looking a little distraught he sat down at the couch beside me and I turned the television on, hoping he'd get the message. He stared at the screen, at whatever show I had put on and seemed distracted for a while before whatever had been bothering him, resurfaced and he began to speak.

"I think I may be losing Itachi, in more ways than just one, un," he said.

He waited for a while, as though hoping for a response or for something other than silence, to happen. But after a while he realized he may as well be talking to a brick wall and just continued.

"I feel like being in the Akatsuki, clashes with that pacifistic side of his and causes him more stress then he needs. I mean, he's already worried about Kisame all the time, that's another thing; the more time he spends with Kisame, the less time he has for me, but that's not the problem at hand… Danna un, do you think I made the right choice?"

Wait, was he really asking me? When he knew what I thought about it? Did he really expect my answer to shed any light on the situation? No, did he _really_ expect for me to answer at all?

How pathetic of him, truly just the look he wore upon his face showed weakness and fear.

I could hardly bear it because _really_ I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and somehow magically take all of his problems away. I was betting on a miracle in the near distance to make life easy again… or as easy as it had been before.

I decided ultimately to keep ignoring him and turned the T.V up louder.

"Huh, I didn't think you'd answer anyways, un. I just needed somebody to talk to, or _at_ I suppose. And it's not like I could possibly take it back _now._ I was just hoping maybe, you'd know what to do, un," I looked at him sideways to see the most _heartbreaking_ smile on his face, "silly me, un."

I nearly broke. My resolved nearly crumbled. But he needed to get through this without me and without Itachi. He needed to understand what it was to be alone; because that was the way he would spend the rest of his life, if he remained in Akatsuki.

Deidara sighed as he realized he really wasn't going to get a response from me, "Un, it's time for me to go, anyway," he whispered, his voice shaking. He placed a gentle kiss on my cheek before standing and lifting his backpack with him. Stupid brat, it was probably full of jelly babies.

As he walked out, I willed my voice to work, basically _begging_ my mind to allow me speech. My eyes remained glued to the screen and soon I heard the door close somewhere behind me.

_Don't go._

_Stay here with me._

_You've made the wrong choice._

_Brat, come back._

Of all the words I could possibly say, my mouth allowed not even a single syllable to be uttered.


	9. Part 9

**This chapter is mainly in Deidara's P.O.V. sorry in advance for the fast pace.. i'll try and slow it down. Sasori as you all know, is incapacitated ATM sooooo that's why i don't write a lot of his point of veiw because there's really nothing for him to do right now but sit around and bitch.**

**Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, somewhat of a cliffhanger, random apperance of characters...**

**Disclaimer:I OWN NOTHING! except the plot.**

* * *

_CHAPTER NINE –Deidara's P.O.V_

The north side of town was nice, almost like the suburban area of Iwa, where I used to pretend I lived – we lived in the bad side of town, back home, nearer to the center of the city – though the buildings were far taller here than the ones at home.

The bus passed large apartment buildings with huge windows that allowed the sunlight to bounce right off; we passed stores that were tag free and lacked bars behind their windows or sliding tin doors to cover the fronts at night. It was neat and bright and beautiful; even the people here seemed to have a more beautiful way of just going about their lives.

There wasn't a lot of traffic and the bus came to a peaceful stop at the main bus shelter that joined up with the train station. There were many, _many_ people waiting there and it was quite easy to sort of lose myself among them and pretend for a moment that maybe I was a business man on my way to an important meeting, or a doctor on my way to perform surgery.

I know, I'm a real dreamer.

From there, I had to find my way onto the back streets; it took a while of walking before I was able to slip into an alley and out of sight.

It was dark back there, for mid-morning at least and the ground began to slope down so everything was on a lower level than the normal roads and buildings. There were a few cars parked outside the quiet, closed up, seemingly abandoned buildings back here and the whole place had a quiet, eerie feel to it.

I had been to places like this before and vowed that I'd never be in a situation like this again yet here I was; surrounded by all these dark, shady buildings, looking for the one with a musical note tagged on to it. I was wary of strangers, though there was not a single soul besides my own here right now, and I wasn't too proud to admit that I was slightly afraid.

But I'd been given a gun, just in case. It was Sasori's gun and I was hoping to run into trouble so that I could murder the bastard who landed us both in this stupid situation.

The building on the corner was the one I was looking for; it had a large black musical note painted on its front door while most of the windows were boarded up. The walls were stained with dirt and what I was quite sure was mold, there were wet patches and the whole thing had a funny smell to it. It was three stories tall and had metal columns that held up a wooden awning. I guess maybe a while ago, this building must've looked pretty nice, despite it's bad aging, but I couldn't fathom a reason why this place still existed here in the north side of town where everything else I'd seen was so beautiful.

I raised my hand only to see it shaking, I had to stop that, I had to be brave.

I calmed myself slowly and hit my hand against the door loudly, five times. I waited a while before going to knock again.

I knew my cover story in case I was asked; the reason I was here was to request that they steal me a guitar. Yes, this time I was playing the part of client and would be attempting to lull them into a false sense of security before I took the cooler _and_ the finger right out from underneath them.

I knocked again, five times and waited rather impatiently. From inside, I heard somebody grumble, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fucking coming. Hold your damn horses!" somebody stomped towards the door and growled out, "doesn't anybody else fucking work around here?!"

A few locks and chains were pulled away from the door before it was yanked open and I stood face to face with…

_No. way._

"Hidan?"

"Blondie?"

"You work for Oto, un?!"

"You're still alive?"

"What do you mean, un. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Rumors."

"Well I heard _rumors_ that you went to prison. For _life_. What the hell happened, un?"

He smirked his signature, slightly deranged smirk and said, "Got off on a technicality. Apparently some of the evidence linking me to those murders was obtained illegally. Next thing I know, I'm being chucked out on the streets and I end up being brought here to work with these pricks," he looked me up and down as though looking for some clue as to what I was doing here, "why are you here anyway?"

My eyes shifted to my feet; could I trust him? Did he have some sort of natural hate towards the Akatsuki, just because he was in the rival group? Would he rat me out?

Nah, I bet he wouldn't. We'd been friends since almost forever. And, if he did, I'd always been a much faster runner then him.

"I'm here looking for a finger un, you wouldn't happen to know anything about it would you?"

He looked a little taken aback for a moment before looking cautiously left and right and pulling me into the building slamming the door closed behind us. The building was just as bad inside as it was out. The walls, the floor, the roof, the smell, it was all disgusting. Much worse than the Akatsuki hideout because at least you could _breathe_ unless you went out in the hall because it just smelled of smoke out there.

"You're in the Akatsuki?" he hissed, he had me pressed against a wall and was looking into my eyes for any signs of deceit. Just like he used to when I would lie to him in high school. We both knew it was impossible for me to lie to him.

"Un, recent addition," I said shakily.

He laughed a little, releasing his grip on me slightly, "when I was told there'd be an Akatsuki member coming in today, I _never_ guessed it would be you."

"Wait a second, you already knew I was coming, un?" that meant my mission was already over, I was basically walking into a trap!

"Yep, I got a contact inside Akatsuki, he says if I help you guys out this once, there might be a spot open for me soon," he told me, "I'm betting on him being right because I _hate_ working here. Everyone here is either an idiot or a fucking dumbass."

"I think those are the same thing, Hidan," I told him. In my mind I put two and two together and came to a realization, "wait a second, _you're_ Kakuzu's Oto contact, un?"

"Yup."

"Where do people like you, even meet?!"

Before he could answer however, their conversation was interrupted by a girl with light red hair and particularly boyish features.

"Who are you?" she asked roughly, looking me up and down with annoyed brown eyes.

"Piss off Tayuya; he's here to make a request."

"Why don't you let me take over then," she said, smiling _almost_ kindly at me.

"Tayuya I swear, if you don't get out of my sight in the next seven seconds, I will fucking sacrifice you," Hidan warned.

Needless to say, the girl was out of there in less than two seconds flat.

"We get paid in commission around here," Hidan explained.

He then turned on his heels and began walking out of the room; naturally I followed him, assuming that was what I was supposed to do.

You know, the Akatsuki was _majorly_ different from this place. Konan hadn't gotten that wrong at all. For one; the people clearly weren't very nice to each other – see example A above – there hideout was crappy, they were paid on _commission_ rather than splitting all the money equally. They had to get their own missions as well, rather than waking up in the morning and having one conveniently given to you. And Oto had a traitor in their midst.

"They were planning to break in tomorrow night using this thing," Hidan said quietly. He had led me to a small room near the stairs on the second floor. It was sort of a kitchen, where everything was worn out, dirty and gross. I figured the only functioning thing there was the fridge, as Hidan pulled it open in search for something to eat.

He retrieved the cooler from the top shelf only moments later, grumbling on about how there was nothing suitable to eat.

"But I swapped the coolers before anyone woke up this morning, after I heard of your mission," he handed it to me casually.

My nose wrinkled in disgust as I opened it, only to see a severed thumb sitting there on ice.

"This is it? Simple as that, un?" I asked.

"Simple as that," he agreed, looking around cautiously, "when you get back, put in a good word for me with your boss, okay?"

"Un, I will," I assured him, "thanks for this."

"No problem blondie, now get out of here."

I turned to leave, cooler in one hand and the other hanging loosely at my side. I'd managed to do this right and all on my own and heck yeah I was feeling proud. I began to walk out, out of the kitchen, down the stairs and down the hall back into the lobby where I'd first come in. but things couldn't go any further from there.

"Freeze, hand the cooler over _now_."

I had a gun pointed at me. Again. This was the third time now? Second or third, yeah.

Ukon, the son of a bitch who shot Sasori. He had the nerve to point a gun at me?

A low growl escaped me and I glared at him, wishing looks could kill and wanting to beat that arrogant smirk right off of his face. I reached slowly but surely for my own fun and he looked close to laughter.

"Wow, you're really stupid, aren't you?" he asked mockingly. His hand tightened around the gun and his finger approached the trigger. This as it. the moment it all melted down to.

"Deidara get down!"

_Shove._

_Fall._

_Bang!_

"Fuck!"

_Thud._

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

We were outside a convenience store at the time. Kisame had _finally_ decided I was allowed out of the apartment, and I wanted smokes.

Once we were outside and I'd gotten what I wanted, I lit up immediately and Kisame stood a few feet away, trying not to inhale the smoke or get it on his clothes. He and Itachi both hated the smell.

But then, his phone vibrated in his pocket and mine went off too. We looked at each other cautiously, wondering what could've gone wrong, before removing our phones and checking them.

I had a message from the brat. He was out on his mission, so he was either texting to gloat or ask for help.

"Fuck," Kisame breathed, already having opened the text.

I followed him quickly, opening my own and reading it three times before actually comprehending the meaning of the words and understanding what was going on.

_Akatsuki SOS._

_Abort mission and send re-enforcements._

_Man down and we are heavily outnumbered._

_Get me out of this alive._

Paste your document here...


	10. Part 10

**Wow second time late to update. this chapter took me a while longer then it should've to write, mainly because i couldn't get it quite right and i wasn't happy with it and i just got really fustrated, but enough about me.**

**WARNINGS: Yaoi/Shounen-ai, relative violence, general bitch/bastard behavior from some characters...**

**Disclaimer: do i have to?! YOU DON'T KNOW, I COULD OWN IT! okay you caught me, i own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

_CHAPTER TEN – Still Sasori's P.O.V_

I read the text message over and over three, four, five times before I could properly think of what to do.

Deidara was in trouble. Again. Stupid brat just couldn't resist getting himself in trouble, could he?

And in that moment it didn't matter that I was angry with him, it didn't matter that if I put too much strain on myself I'd tear my stitches, it didn't matter that I was unarmed…

Shit, well maybe it did just a little bit.

But Kisame, he never went _anywhere_ unarmed. It was as though he expected a fight to break out every time he left his house. I knew right then what I had to do; I put my pick-pocketing skills to use and had Kisame's gun in my hands in a matter of seconds, just as the shark had composed himself long enough to want to figure out what we were going to do.

I pointed the gun at my friend disdainfully, feeling bad when I saw a look of confusion cross Kisame's face before his features quickly contorted to those of anger.

"What are you –?"

But I cut him off quickly; there was no time to waste with such tedious questions, "go find Itachi or something. I'll take care of this." Though it was a simple request given by the voice of a friend, Kisame appeared antagonized by my actions.

He didn't understand the meaning behind what I was doing, and chose to see it as personal mutiny though I was sure, if faced with a similar situation, he might do the same. I didn't expect him to get it and once I was sure that he was far enough from me, I took off running.

I had to get to the nearest bus stop, or a cab, or _something, _anything that would get me to the north side of town fast enough. I almost missed the bus, _almost_ being the best word in my life right now, and I was in the north side in a matter of seven and a half minutes. It was as though the driver and anybody who might want to go anywhere today, all seemed to know of my predicament, as the roads were all but empty and the bus drove faster than it probably should have.

By the time I got onto the back streets where I knew I was meant to be, I could feel pain in my stomach and I looked down to see red soaking my shirt. I felt no pain though, as adrenaline seemed to block it out of my system perfectly.

Pein was going to be pissed if I had to get my stitched redone, which I had a sneaking suspicion that I did. And Kisame would be pissed because he would get in trouble for helping me out of the apartment.

I guess Pein, Kakuzu and Konan would have also gotten the message from Deidara. I wondered how many of them were coming as my awkward run became a fast paced limp, a stagger if you will.

As I neared the building, I could hear sirens in the distance, whether police, fire engines or ambulance I couldn't tell but they were definitely heading in this direction.

If I were caught here with a weapon, I would be put away. They wouldn't be able to charge me with anything more than possession of a deadly weapon though, unless I actually went inside and killed somebody, which I was very tempted to do.

I neared the door with the musical note on it.

This was it.

* * *

_Deidara's P.O.V_

Hidan was immortal. By fate or chance, we didn't know but he claimed it was a gift from his god. I didn't believe in any of that stuff and I'd never seen his supposed immortality in action, until just moments after he was shot

He pushed me out of the way and as a result, was shot instead, right between the eyes; a spot that should've no doubt killed him. But after _playing dead_ for a few moments – long enough for me to duck behind a desk and contact Akatsuki – he rose again, an insane look on his face and took aim at the one who had shot him.

We were indeed heavily outnumbered and I was definitely afraid but I took aim as well, rising up over the desk and shooting as somebody rushed through one of the doors.

It was Hidan and I against Oto. Not a fair match so to speak since Hidan was immortal and would continue to fight long after I was dead but Oto kept fighting nonetheless, taking cover occasionally behind upturned items of furniture just as I had.

I nicked a few of them, quite a few and I wasn't exactly aiming to kill at all. Hidan however, went crazy as though he were a monster on a rampage – the exact description given to the court by a witness of the events that landed him in jail in the first place – and there was blood everywhere, though admittedly, most of it was Hidan's.

I got shot a few times as well but only in minor places. Itachi was going to be pissed, or more so then usual, if I made it out alive.

Soon I began to hear sirens in the distance. We had to get away, _now._

I looked up at Hidan as he was firing madly with a new gun, one he'd found in the drawers of the desk I was crouched behind. I pulled urgently on his sleeve and he looked down just long enough to be shot in the shoulder.

"oi, that hurt you bastard!" he yelled, shooting at random at one of the pieces of furniture.

I counted five dead bodies by now, none of them I recognized as neither Tayuya nor Ukon had gotten themselves involved.

"Hidan un, we need to leave, _now!_" I insisted.

"Alright blondie I'm right behind you. Grab the cooler and let's get the hell out of here."

I did as he said, assuming everything would be fine. After all, most of the people in the room were either dead or hiding so we made a break for it.

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

I could hear the commotion coming from inside, bullets being fired, yelps of pain escaping people, outraged cries and promises to sacrifice people coming from the same voice every single time.

Pein and Kakuzu weren't very far behind me which could be interpreted as either good or bad as both seemed rather distracted.

Pein looked at me and hissed, "What are you doing here!"

While Kakuzu made a _very helpful_ observation; "you're bleeding!"

And the sirens were getting closer to us.

"Shit, we have to get out of here," Pein said, "but we can't just leave them here!"

"Let go of me, un!"

At the sound of Deidara's voice from inside that building, all firing stopped, all yelling, fighting and commotion stopped. All that could be heard now were the sirens.

Pein caught the look in my eyes.

"Sasori, no," he said sternly but like hell I was going to listen.

The door was easy to bust down, pumped full of adrenaline as I was, all I saw on the inside of the old, worn building, was blood. Everywhere. And bodies and guns and faceless people, one maniac – who I assumed was on our side – and a blonde, who used the distraction my abrupt entrance caused, to elbow the guy holding him, in the stomach before turning around and shooting his foot.

Immediately I had a gun pointed at me, but the holder was shot ruthlessly by the silver haired maniac standing by the far wall.

"I've never been happier to see you in my life, un," Deidara said, rushing over to where I stood, gun at the ready, fully loaded, prepared to shoot anyone and everyone who got in my way.

However, it seemed I had arrived too late and was only needed as a momentary distraction in order for Deidara to get away. He had the cooler, was relatively unharmed and smiling.

Nobody else wanted to fight back now, if there was anyone still conscious here.

"Hidan come-on, we have to go _now_ un," Deidara demanded off the other man who smirked and wiped blood from his brow.

"Alright blondie, cool your tits," Hidan said. He made his way leisurely over to us.

Everything was going fine, but that's ultimately when life decides to screw you, right?

Deidara handed the cooler over to Pein once we were outside, who smile and praised the blonde like a little puppy. Hidan received one _improper_ – as he put it – look from Kakuzu and went off on a rant about what a lousy prick he is, and we began to head over to where Pein had parked.

Forgetting about something, weren't we?

The police pulled up, two cars, cutting us off and in our condition – well mine, Deidara's and Hidan's anyway – there was no way to run.

They saw our guns, still out. They saw the blood, staining three of us. They saw the wild look in Hidan's eyes. It was over. Again.


	11. Part 11

**Wow. i am way late with updating this aren't i? well i've been majorly obesessing with Deathnote lately.. and i know that isn't an excuse but i don't really need one. i would also make some school related excuses but a very basic thing to know about me, is that i don't ****_do_**** school, like i go but i never pay attention.**

**WARNINGS: Shortness, Sasori being a pr!ck other things i can't remember right now... enjoy ^^**

**Disclaimer: if i owned Naruto, i would make all of the characters blueberry flavored... except Itachi, i feel like he'd be strawberry.**

* * *

_CHAPTER ELEVEN – Deidara's P.O.V_

We were taken to the station after some inquiry as to what had happened though I think it was quite clear really. Probably the only one they wouldn't be able to charge, would be Kakuzu who hadn't drawn a weapon, wasn't in possession of stolen, illegal items – the cooler – and who hadn't done anything wrong. At least, nothing anyone could prove.

My stomach churned as I realized for the first time that there was a strong probability that we would all go to prison after this. I couldn't speak at all as we waited for judgment to be passed on us. Hidan and Kakuzu were arguing since Hidan started bitching about how this would be his second time in prison. Pein had talked his way to getting a phone call, which he was going to use to call Konan but he couldn't reach her and ended up having to call Itachi. His little brother was a lawyer, but no amount of help would get us out of this.

Then came the absolute worst thing that could happen that day – in my opinion anyway – _individual interrogations._ And not surprisingly, they took us two at a time, each to be picked to pieces on our own. Hidan and Kakuzu were first and though I was happy to get away from their bickering, I was nervous to be left alone with a distant Pein and unreadable Sasori.

I couldn't tell whether he was just bursting to tell me I had been wrong and that I was a stupid brat, or if he had just plain given up on me. I didn't want him to give up on me, even when it felt like he already had, I needed at least one person to have faith that I could do something good and helpful and above all, _right._

"It's a real shame though," Pein mused quietly, his voice shattering the barrier, previously only interrupted by the _beeps, clicks_ and _rings_ of the office. "We lost the thumb to evidence, now there's no chance of completing that heist."

I wanted to say that the real loss was my backpack full of Jelly babies but I didn't.

"Yeah, a real shame," Sasori said bitterly, "and it means nothing that we're going to prison and that you'll never get to spend time with Konan again."

"I never said that," Pein said, sounding almost confused at his sub-ordinates evident anger.

I sighed, feeling another argument sparking but Sasori had more sense than to argue with the Akatsuki head. He allowed himself to slip back into silence and Pein said nothing else until Hidan and Kakuzu were dragged back, Hidan swearing and babbling on about his _rights_ and Kakuzu telling him to shut up. I took it that they weren't very cooperative, but if they had known Hidan before they started, they wouldn't have even bothered.

My old friend sat back down beside me, he looked the least worried out of all of us, though it was understandable since he was _in fact_ immortal. As for Kakuzu, well it seemed the arguing was serving as a great distraction from the matter at hand.

"Alright, blondie, red, follow me," the cop said tiredly.

Danna and I exchanged a brief look, his eyes were impassive and careless, my own were masked with excitement to hide what I truly thought. We allowed ourselves to be led out of the big, noisy and yet silent room, down a few halls and then separate ways into different rooms.

"You're friend wasn't very helpful," the man leading this interrogation didn't tiptoe around it, but dived in instead. "So why don't you tell me what happened?"

I wanted to tell him to get fucked. But I had to think my words through carefully and it only led me to silence.

"Look, we're relatively sure you're not guilty of anything so why don't you just explain what happened so we can arrest the real culprit," the man tried.

I knew it was lies, they couldn't possibly know that this early on and if they did, they wouldn't tell me. They must've taken me for a first time offender. And I was, if you didn't count all the times I wasn't caught. But I had been in the crime business far too long to play along with their tricks.

_Sasori's P.O.V_

"Okay so tell me what happened? What were you doing in the North side of town?"

Ha, like I was going to cooperate with this stupid investigation! He took me for some kind of good citizen but I had been a criminal a lot longer than it seemed. And I was sick of this, a combination of adrenaline, stress and concern for the people who were closest to me, pumped thickly through my veins and I snapped out, "I was there to see your mother; you know she's lowered her rates recently."

I noticed with dry amusement, a slight irritated twitch of his eye as he tried again.

"What were you doing with a gun?"

"Hunting rabbits."

"Why were you outside a known _Oto_ headquarters?"

"They invited me over for brunch."

"And you came out covered in their blood?"

Well to be fair, some of it was mine, "it was a _themed_ brunch."

Despite my unhelpful, no doubt annoying answers, we were nowhere near done.

_Deidara's P.O.V_

I thought about my options. Really, there were none but the man insisted on listing some for my benefit. Things I couldn't in all good conscience, even _consider_.

Things like betraying Hidan and the Akatsuki in favor of my own life. Things like lying then returning home to tell Konan and the others of my _heroic_ deed. Things that would serve not to prove my point, only to prove that I couldn't do anything without a bail out.

No I didn't think of these things as my options, really I knew there was only one.

Because Hidan wouldn't survive in jail; they would have to attempt to execute him after he killed a few inmates and when he was found to be immortal, they'd study him in a lab for the rest of his existence. Yeah, I thought about that.

And Kakuzu, what would he do without his money? He needed to be on the outside to keep the Akatsuki afloat, he and Hidan needed to be out there _together_ even if they were at each other's throats the entire time. So I thought about that.

Pein had a girlfriend who I absolutely adored and who I knew couldn't go on without him. she had never done anything wrong – well besides small things for the Akatsuki – and she didn't deserve to have bars running between her love. I thought about that.

Finally, there was Sasori. We had our fights, our feuds, our childish little battles but I cared about him, more then I cared to say. He was a good guy, despite everything and I couldn't bear the thought of him having to suffer because of this. Because of something stupid I had done. Not again, nuh-uh I wasn't going to let that happen again. I thought _a lot_ about that, definitely. And I knew there was really only one thing for me to do.

"Okay, I'm ready to talk," I whispered, my voice hoarse from built up suspense and nerves.

_Sasori's P.O.V_

"is it true you are part of the Akatsuki and the other men we brought in with you, are as well?"

I scoffed, thinking how ridiculous and tedious these questions were becoming. Did it really matter if I answered correctly anyway? By now they had probably gathered up enough evidence to put me away for life.

"No. we are part of an interpretive dance group, not affiliated with Akatsuki or Oto."

He looked seconds away from hitting me and secretly I hoped that he would just so I could wake up from this strange dream I was sure I was having, but before I could, the door snapped open.

"Red, you're free to go," another man said.

"What?" I said along with the first guy. We exchanged shocked glances before I said, "What happened?"

The other looked just as confused as we were.

"I don't know exactly, but we got a confession."


	12. Part 12

**This is getting increasingly hard to write because Sasori is still injured (i really didn't think that through) and all he can do is sit around and be a b!tch. but there'll be a small time skip in a few chapters that'll help things along... so uh, enjoy.**

**Warnings: Bad humor attempts, Itachi and Deidara actualy getting along, swearing, implied Yaoi... other things...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

* * *

_CHAPTER TWELVE – Deidara's P.O.V_

I was handcuffed and led out of the room, just as Sasori was set free and – oh joy – Itachi and Sasuke entered the small office we had been held in before. The eldest Uchiha looked at me with confusion in his eyes, as did everybody else until Hidan finally clicked.

"Deidara what are you doing?" he asked almost uncertainly and without a single curse.

I looked down, feeling suddenly ashamed.

"I confessed un, I told them how it was all my fault… they're taking me away now un," I whispered.

"Brat don't be ridiculous," Sasori growled, "we're all adults here, we can handle the consequences of our own actions!"

I was forced to laugh, bitterly for effect, "I'm not going to let the four of you suffer for something that was my fault."

It was Itachi's turn then, as it seemed Pein was happy to just be given another chance and Kakuzu really had nothing to say on the subject. But Itachi, well of course he knew what I was doing and that there was no way to change my mind, he knew me well enough to know that by now.

"You're an idiot," he said, "We'll get you out of this."

And even though we hated each other, Sasuke nodded in agreement. Itachi's lawyer little brother. Convenient that I'd have a connection like that, but not enough to help me out in this situation. There was hardly any need for a trial or anything, they had a confession, evidence and probably witnesses as well.

"Okay un," I smiled, "until then." And I let myself be led to prison.

_Sasori's P.O.V_

It had been a week since the incident and not a word had been heard from prison.

Sasuke and Itachi were pressing for a trial, that way the brat could get bail and we could work something out. I didn't know if that would work or even be worthwhile, but then again I wasn't the lawyer. And meanwhile, Pein recruited Hidan to take Deidara's place. The missions hadn't stopped and soon I would be healed and able to go out and steal things. I wasn't going to give it up, because with everything going wrong right now, it was the only thing left to keep me sane. The brat wouldn't be around to fill the air with senseless chatter anymore.

And it was all for nothing! They didn't get the finger and none of the people fired at had actually died! Most of them were recovering well in hospital right now, alive and free. I felt like taking a gun over there and finishing them all off myself, but I knew I mustn't do that.

I was eating breakfast in my old apartment with Konan and the others. Konan wasn't doing so well; she was happy that Pein hadn't been prosecuted but the price clearly pained her. She kept waiting for news from Itachi and mini Itachi, but none ever came. Honestly I felt bad for her; she deserved a lot more than the Akatsuki.

"Any news?" she asked Itachi as she sat at the table beside Pein. She looked tired and sick, definitely taking it harder than the rest of us.

"I'm going to see him today," Itachi said.

This was new. They hadn't allowed any visitors so far, as they were still processing his case, or lack thereof.

"Really, has Sasuke gotten him a trial?"

Itachi nodded. "It's a long shot though, considering what they have against him. But as long as he isn't locked up permanently then there's always something we can do."

"Will you be pressing for bail?" Kakuzu asked. I knew he was thinking about how much that was going to cost, but he was also concerned Deidara, after all the kid had risked a lot – okay, _everything_ – to save us.

"Yes. But it might not get through for a few weeks, possibly even months," Itachi said.

"Oh I just hope he's alright," Konan said.

"I bet he's become a prison bitch!" Hidan laughed at his own comment. He was like that, it seemed.

"Oh you mean like you were?" Kakuzu asked him offhandedly.

"Hey take that back, stupid fucker! I'm not anybody's bitch!" Hidan quickly yelled in response.

It was _almost_ comical to watch them fight and argue and yell at each other like old enemies. It made me think that perhaps there was more than just one type of love – because even if they wouldn't show it, I _knew_ they loved each other. There was the traditional kind, like Pein and Konan had where people loved each other despite their flaws or short-comings. There was what Kisame and Itachi had, where two people loved each other _because_ of their flaws. And then there was Hidan and Kakuzu, who fought so much you were afraid one of them would end up at the bottom of the ocean, but things always defused before it got that far.

But what about me and the brat? I didn't love him. I _didn't._ but I cared about him, more then I should and I could only hope, that was _literally_ all I could do at that point, as Itachi left to visit prison, that somehow I could figure out a way to make this right.

_Deidara's P.O.V_

This is the way we head out, isn't it? Or at least the way we're _meant _to head out.

Tobi went missing about a month after high school, Hidan got arrested later that year – even though he had been released since – and now I was following the same path. The only one who might be okay was Itachi because I swear, if he had a cooler ending then me, I'd break out of prison and kill his little brother. Why? Because I don't like him. In fact, I might kill him anyway just to make this process a little faster.

It was ridiculous of them to fight for a trial, but I agreed nonetheless because I knew he wouldn't do something if there was no meaning behind it. He was a logical thinker and I trusted his judgment.

Itachi came to visit around lunchtime, his stoic face conveyed no emotion but his eyes said it all. We were allowed a private conversation, away from my cell mates who I'd done my best to ignore but a guard had to stand watch and I was handcuffed to the chair yet again. Having been in prison only a week, I was still getting used to the utter lack of every day privileges.

"Look at the mess you've gotten yourself into," Itachi said, eying the guard and then the cuffs, "I always thought you'd be the last one left."

I smirked, "yeah and how'd you plan to go out, un?"

"Akatsuki, Oto war, killed in an attempt to save someone else."

"Ah, a hero's ending then, un?" he nodded, "I swear if you die like that I'm killing Sasuke."

"Good luck with that, you've never beaten me at anything in your life and he's got the same Uchiha blood."

I growled lowly. He was of course, speaking the truth but that didn't mean I had to be happy about it.

"Is there a reason you called me here Deidara? After all, technically Sasuke is your lawyer and not me," he asked, eyes flickering with amusement.

"Yeah there is actually un," I told him, instantly remembering the task I had for him, "and it's not something I'd have my lawyer handle. See, there's a loose floor board in my room, underneath my bed –"

"Is that where you keep your porn?"

I glared, "no un, I keep that under my mattress."

"Just like you did when you were a teenager."

"Just listen, un! There's a loose floorboard beneath my bed. I need you to go in there and get the small yellow backpack I hide there. I was hoping there'd be more in it un, but I want you to give it to Sasori."

Understanding dawned on him and he frowned, "haven't you ever heard of a bank?" he asked.

"People like me don't keep their money in banks, un. It'd be terribly ironic if there was ever a robbery."

"What about all the money you made at the café?"

"In the bag, un."

"Wouldn't that money be better spent on bail?"

"No un, it doesn't matter if I get bailed out because I'd only be put back in. most of the money there was meant to belong to him anyway and the rest, well I'm not going to need it, un."

"Sasuke's going to do his best to defend you, he'll get you out of this I promise."

"It doesn't make a difference; your words are just wishful thinking, un."

"I know. I should've known better all those years ago then to become friends with an idiot like you."

"Hey, un!"

He smiled a soft, painful smile. "Albeit, you're a _brave_ idiot."

The door to the room opened up and a gruff voice said, "Time's up."

Itachi stood, wasting no time. He looked at me one last time and said, "Don't worry; I'll take care of it."


	13. Part 13

**hmm... i feel like i've used so much time making sure Deidara isn't a little bitch (because i've read SOOOOOO many stories where he is and it gets on my nerves because he's not!) that i've sorta forgotten to make sure Sasori isn't.**

**Warnings: Yaoi... prison... the product of about three hours unsuccessful writing... ENJOY :D**

**Disclaimer: If i owned Naruto/Shippuden, Naruto would be Hokage already!**

* * *

_CHAPTER THRITEEN – Sasori's P.O.V_

I sat at the table, eating jelly babies that I'd found in the brats room. They were actually nice but they provided little comfort as I couldn't leave the apartment again after the little stunt I pulled with Kisame. He was still pissed that I would do something like that, though Itachi had gone out of his way to be – _almost_ – nice to me for it.

I didn't move from that spot the entire time. Not because it hurt to move, no most of the pain was gone by then, but because it hurt to think. I listened to footsteps out in the hall, none of which I recognized because everybody as gone. Kakuzu and Hidan had a mission, so did Kisame. I wanted to get back to that mind-numbing danger, _so_ bad.

I thought of my parents. It was no accident that I ended up in crime; they were involved with a gang as well but they were more the drug trafficking type of people.

They had rivals, just as we had Oto, and they sometimes clashed paths. Sometimes these fights were huge, people were shot just like I was, people died just like my parents.

I was young, but not so young that I couldn't remember my last words to them. It's funny, because when I look back at my past with my parents, I don't see the drugs, the guns, the blood, the fear. I remember the love, the warmth, the safety and I remember the night they said they'd only be an hour. And I said, well I said goodnight, and I fell asleep soon after their footsteps had faded.

And in the morning I awoke to an empty house, soon the police came and my grandmother and she took me in her arms as I was told what had happened.

Every time I think of that memory, I remember the weak little boy I had been back then; so dependent on my parents for everything and now I was no different. Injured – so they say – and confined to this stupid apartment. I had to think of a way to get Deidara out of prison _for good_ and I had the beginnings of such a plan, but it would never work.

At some point, Itachi came into the apartment, waking me from a depressive stupor.

"What are you doing, you don't live here anymore," I told him but he paid me no mind and headed straight for Deidara's bedroom. Curiosity took over and I got up and followed him.

Leaning on the doorframe, I watched – hey, I was still injured, I couldn't be excepted to help – as he shifted the bed and began to test the floorboards, finally finding one that wasn't quite straight.

"I went to see Deidara," he said as he moved the piece of wood away, "he wanted me to give you something."

I watched as Itachi reached his hand into the space freed by the removed floorboard and pulled out a small yellow bag. He turned it around a couple of times before throwing it at me; I caught it with one hand and investigated it. It was heavy and when I opened it, it was full of money; stacks and stacks of money.

"What the hell?"

"He said it's yours since he doesn't need it where he's going."

"Okay but what the hell does he expect me to do with it all?"

"I don't know. Probably buy smokes?"

Ah, he still thinks I don't care.

"Has bail been set yet?"

"No, might have to wait a while for that."

There was silence between us and I could sense unsaid words hanging in the air. We both wanted the same thing, I could tell. We both had someone to fight for now; someone to protect.

"I wish the Akatsuki would just go away," I said eventually.

He nodded his silent agreement, something I hadn't expected.

"With Oto healing, they'll be at full strength again at no time unless we kill them all now and I'm against that idea," he said, "but if Akatsuki doesn't disband soon, there'll be a full-fledged war."

Just like in my hometown.

"I wouldn't mind killing those bastards now or in the future because we can't simply _leave_ the Akatsuki, it doesn't work that way."

Sadness flickered briefly in Itachi's eyes. "I know. You're in until you die."

At that exact moment, you could practically see light bulbs flashing brightly above our heads as we got the exact same idea, one I had been mulling over before he got here. And just like that we knew how to keep Deidara out of prison.

"All we've got to do is kill him."

* * *

_Deidara's P.O.V_

A month rolled by, they had transferred me to a proper prison while Sasuke worked to get bail. I had to share my cell with a guy who collected bugs; he basically kept to himself though which made him the ideal cellmate opposed to somebody who would pester you all day.

The meals honestly weren't that bad. I mean, it was better than living off of a jelly baby diet, especially since I was done with the withdrawal. For the first few weeks, showering was awkward and gross, the water was cold, something that wasn't going to change any time soon and I had to be naked in a room with a bunch of other people. Since I was the new guy around, I had to deal with offhanded and suggestive comments. That was up until I punched one guy in the face for touching me, after that incident, hardly anybody spoke to me, but I was fine with that.

Sasori visited me every other day, it took a while for me to understand what was going on with him, he was acting rather strange and I could clearly remember the day his reasons came to light.

It must've been Monday the second week and we had spent the majority of his visiting time arguing about bail and this time I assumed we'd only do the same, of course I couldn't complain, I was glad for the distraction.

He sat down and almost immediately growled, "You're such a brat." We weren't alone in the room and a couple of people stared but neither of us had ever objected to having an audience.

"Excuse me, un?" I asked snidely, I had built up a lot of anger while in prison and whenever Sasori came around, I got a chance to vent.

Suffice it to say that after he'd said only a few words, I let loose a string of my own that were not very nice at all, and I had been working on it for a while, believe me. Just waiting for the perfect opportunity when he came once again to plead his case. Begging me to accept his help (without really begging.)

"Are you finished?" he asked.

"For now."

"Idiot," he said, "after that little display I really don't know why I'm doing this but I know feelings can't be chased away by bad words, or bad thoughts for that matter," he said the last part quietly, intending for me not to hear.

I gasped and faked shock, "Danna has feelings, un?" I asked.

He ignored me, "listen Deidara, I don't want you to go to prison –"

"Ah but I'm here anyway aren't I, un?"

"Just let me finish!" he snapped, "I don't want you to go to prison because, well I can't imagine going back to life without you. You're a lousy thief brat and yet somehow, you managed to get away with my heart."

I guess being in prison had turned me into a bit of a prick, because I laughed, "wow, that's bad," I said, "I'll never understand how you managed to charm those women."

"Brat," his tone was low, warning of bad things to come if I didn't calm down.

"Relax Danna, I'm only kidding. To tell the truth, I liked you even before you took a bullet for me, but that was only really skin deep. I think I really started falling for you while you were in the hospital and when you woke up, well you're way more interesting when you're actually conscious. But admitting all of this does neither of us any good because I'm going away for a long, long time."

Prison had no doubt made me rather blunt as well. But he needed to hear it; we both did.

"Itachi and I have come up with a plan, one that'll help us get away from the Akatsuki for good. I just need you to trust me for a while, okay?"

I glared. "And why should I?"

Ti answer my question, he leaned over the table and kissed me. It wasn't like that time when we were fighting and he was angry at me for risking my life. It was slower, sweeter and altogether short lived as we were pulled away from each other and Sasori was kicked out soon after. But I managed to tell him in time that I would listen and trust him and no matter what happened, I was on his side.

It had been two weeks since that moment. Not a lot had changed.

The guards kept an extra close eye on us after that. Apparently something about two guys kissing weirded them out, you'd think they'd be used to it by now after working in a men's prison but whatever. Itachi came to see me sometimes, he and Sasuke had more access to me, being my lawyer team and sometimes Hidan would even sneak in some jelly babies – yeah, I was back on jelly babies.

Bail would be posted soon. I wasn't too excited about that though, the whole thought made me feel sick. Not to mention all those members of Oto we shot were still alive and half of the organization was still up and running. Sasori was better from his bullet wound by now and was going on missions again, which worried me but not to the point where I would sit around and think about it for ages.

For now I had to sit around in the cold, concrete cell with the dull buzz of insects in the background and wait while Sasori went out on a mission. He had come to visit me earlier, saying how he had to steal a bottle of perfume. Apparently it was _extremely_ important.

Whatever.

I just sat around thinking how great it would be once I was free.

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

I had to steal a bottle of _golden_ perfume from some ladies house in the North side of town. It wasn't the hardest mission I'd ever been on but after the last two weeks' endless onslaught of tough, life threatening missions, it was a nice change of pace.

As soon as I'd been cleared by the doctors to work again – I'd told them I was a piano mover – Pein sent me out to steal an old collection of records from the North. Actually, most of my missions had been in the North side of town. We had slowly been taking over Oto territory, taking all of their missions and their clients had slowly been migrating over towards us.

It wouldn't be long before a war ensured.

Anyway, my mission. It consisted of sneaking into an apartment building which really wasn't that hard, and picking the lock to the room I needed to get into. the bottle was exactly where I was told it would be and I was out of there in less than fifteen minutes. Like I said; it wasn't exactly the most heroic of missions.

I decided to walk home after that. I had a lot to think about.

Itachi and I had been talking a lot about our plan and the more we tried to sort out the finer details, the guiltier I felt for even suggesting it.

I didn't know what Deidara would think in those last moments, or how he would feel. I hadn't spoken to him about it at all for fear of what he might do. I had gained his trust this far, he was an easy kid to fool. Must've been a bit like me deep down inside, just longing for someone to believe in. well he really chose wrong when he picked me, didn't he?

Soon though, none of that would matter. He couldn't stay in prison, it simply wasn't an option. What I was going to do was for his own good and it was final.

Now, there was no going back.


	14. Part 14

**...i had something i was going to say here but now i don't remember...**

**WARNING: swearing, stupidity and yaoi.**

**Disclaimer:...**

* * *

_CHAPTER FOURTEEN – Sasori's P.O.V_

Deidara was due to be getting out today. Bail was finally posted and I gave the money to Itachi since I was on a mission.

Now occasionally – and I'm really glad Deidara was never given missions like this – we're sent out to remind people to pay what they owe. Typically, loan sharks and the like have people to do these things for them, but independent individuals who've leant out money, can always turn to the Akatsuki – _or_ Oto – to aid in getting back what they've borrowed out.

It's a great stress reliever; being paid to beat the crap out of somebody. Especially when you can tell that person is a totally asshole anyway. It actually reminded me of my old life as a drug dealer – yes, I used to deal drugs – where I would give people a week to pay me before taking what they owed out of them and anything they owned.

Everybody I used to associate with back then was either a deadbeat or a loser. There were a lot of shit parents as well; I can't tell you how many times I was offered a kid for just a quick fix. Of course I never took the offer. More often than not I'd end up beating the useless excuse for a mother or father, to the point where they couldn't even remember why they were there.

Same with the guy I was sent to see today. I could tell he was a deadbeat dad. I could see the shame and guilt in his eyes but it was heavily masked by a want for something else; something like an addiction. And as I kept hitting him, ignoring the blood and tears – somehow, they always managed to pull tears from somewhere in their black hearts – I really couldn't feel sorry for him.

On a different note; Deidara was getting out today. I know I've already mentioned it but the fact that he would be _free_ today only made my mission seem more real.

Hidan had advised us when a good time to do it would be. He still had his connections in Oto – even if he _had_ almost killed them all – and he knew when the next major heist would be. He even knew a guy who would take care of the more important details for us. Despite that it would mean he and Deidara would never see each other again, Hidan was all for our plan.

And the brat, well he didn't suspect a thing. It was actually kind of sad really.

I took a bus home after I had completed my mission. $1000 just for beating some guy up. But I got off about a block away from the building so I could get the brat some jelly babies, seeing as how I had eaten his entire stash.

I wouldn't tell him till the last possible moment, right before I took him out. Wow, it sort of felt like I'd be taking him out back to shot him between the eyes or something. But I wouldn't. That's not how this was going to happen.

But I could already see the look on his face when I said it and something about that uncertain fear made me smile as I clutched a bag of jelly babies in a blood drenched hand.

Only a few more weeks and this nightmare was going to be over.

* * *

_Deidara's P.O.V_

The bail was set, at $1500 which I had easily saved in a couple of days. I was free the day it was set – Sasori ended up using some of my Akatsuki money to free me – and Itachi came to pick me up since Danna had an early mission. He looked tired but I guess he would be with Kisame insisting on taking on my missions. There were a lot more Oto involved missions, as Sasori had informed me.

I guess by coming here, I'd really screwed things up for my friend.

He also mentioned Konan had been really sick lately; she was having trouble sleeping, throwing up all the time and bitching out for no reason.

I spared my cellmate a short farewell before the guards dragged me off, and left him attempting to coax a spider down off of the wall.

Itachi brought me some clothes to change into but I was mostly looking forward to having a proper shower for the first time in a month, with hot water and boundaries between me and the next person.

"You smell like shame," Itachi commented as we drove.

"And you smell like despair, un," I countered.

"Cops have been watching us a lot lately. Not that it stops Pein from sending them out. They almost got caught the other day, stealing a golden clock from a pent house downtown. And the run-ins with Oto are getting worse; I think we're all cursed."

"Well you and I certainly are," I said.

"Like Tobi and Hidan."

The car stopped outside the familiar apartment building but Itachi didn't get out, he couldn't park here.

"Yeah but we found Hidan again, didn't we, un?"

"More like he fell righty back into our lives," he sighed, "you know, I thought when I was finished high school; I'd be done with you lunatics."

I chuckled, "come on Itachi un, you know you love us."

A car behind us beeped before he could answer and I rolled my eyes and got out. Itachi drove to find a parking spot and I went upstairs. Just like the first time, climbing all those stairs was a real mission and this time I didn't have my jelly babies to offer support. But as I reached the fourth floor, I was reminded of the reason I did this, the reason I did everything, including braving prison for over a month.

Sasori stood out in the hall, leaning against a wall with a smoke in his hand and specks of dried blood on his face and clothes. He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, his eyes almost closed, and a content look on his face. It was a perfect image, gone as soon as it had appeared right in front of me but forever etched in my memory. It had to be removed to make room for the next moment.

"I see un," I said, shattering the perfection provided but the silence and garnering his attention, "this is what you did with all my hard earned money?"

He looked up slowly, bored expression never fading, "you're back," he said.

"Yeah un, Itachi just –"

My words were cut off as he pressed his lips against mine roughly, when he had gotten that close I couldn't quite remember but I didn't question it and melted into the kiss we had both been denied countless times in the past few weeks.

Soon I felt him licking my bottom lip, demanding entrance and I gladly complied, opening my mouth and allowing myself to be backed against a wall.

He tasted like smoke, not surprisingly at all but there was also the faint taste of jelly babies – that bastard had been eating my candy! And just like the first time I was here – except back then, I had just about to _yell_ at Sasori – someone cleared their throat loud from the staircase and we quickly pulled apart.

"Déjà vu," Sasori said.

"Worse than the fucking prison guards un," I added.

Itachi had that familiar look of amusement in his eyes.

"Are they waiting for us?" he asked.

"Yeah, at your place. Konan ordered pizza."

"Not from that one place…?"

"No they'll probably never deliver here again, let alone let us set foot in their store."

"It's a shame; they made the best pizza ever."

I looked between them, waiting for more explanation but the conversation seemed to be over so I followed them as they headed into the all too familiar apartment next door, set out just like mine used to be with the large table with room for the entire Akatsuki. Kisame, Kakuzu and Hidan sat at the table and barely looked up as we walked in, they were whispering, not at all like either of them but actually, Itachi and Sasori had been acting weirdly as well, whenever they had visited me in prison. Even now they seemed on edge.

The sound of coughing and retching could be heard from the bathroom and I cringed, feeling bad for Konan.

"Wow un, she's really sick isn't she?" I asked.

"Yeah, Pein's taking her to the doctors tomorrow, he's really worried about her," Sasori said.

Now the boys at the table looked up, a toothy grin on the face of the blue man and a look as stoic as ever on the face of the other, while Hidan looked uncertain as to how he felt about seeing me.

"Welcome back, Deidara," Kisame said, "how'd prison treat ya?"

"Hmm, well I didn't get raped, so I guess it was alright un," I said, smiling slight as Hidan made an obscene comment.

Pein came back into the room suddenly, looking pale and sick but his purple eyes lit up when he saw me.

"Ah your back," he said, his voice as casual as if I'd just gone out to get milk, "good, I'll have some work for you later in the week, actually I should have something ready for you by tomorrow."

Of course it was inevitable that he'd still send me out even with the conditions of my bail, but I was excited to be getting back to it. There was only so much living I would get to do before my trial and I wanted to make the most of it.


	15. Part 15

**Wowz... this is the longest chapter i've written so far for this... don't expect it too often though because it took me quite a while... um, i didn't know the exact color of the rings and the picture i found really didn't help so there might be a few mistakes...**

**WARNINGS: um... swearing? i don't know why but i'm making Deidara swear a lot more then i usually do...**

**Disclaimer: i own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

_CHAPTER FIFTEEN – Deidara's P.O.V_

Having breakfast with the Akatsuki again was great. I hadn't had such a good meal in almost two months and I didn't have to deal with listening to prison politics or real-world horror stories at the table anymore. The worst I got here were Hidan's war stories and quips about me being a prison bitch but that was a given now that he was a part of the Akatsuki.

Itachi brought a box to the table while Konan was preparing the meal and opened it to reveal a set of eight rings.

"I thought this would be a good idea for a sort of identity symbol," he said, sharing a quick glance with Sasori.

Pein spared a single glance at the rings and said, "They'll do I suppose," and accepted a yellow one.

Itachi handed the rest out, Teal for me, red for himself, yellow **(?)** for Kisame, Danna got purple, Hidan got grey and Kakuzu got blue. Lastly there was Konan, who received a white ring.

Konan was looking a little better, but still sick. Apparently she didn't really start feeling it until around midday, which is when she usually started throwing up. She did however, manage to completely flip out at Hidan for swearing; something she would usually ignore. Hidan would've argued with her about it but he was quickly distracted when Pein started to speak.

"I have a new mission," he said and instantly, Hidan looked. Even after spending so much time with the Akatsuki, he was still stuck in his Oto way of thinking, where you only got what you earned. "Deidara, you should be able to handle it but just in case, I'm sending Sasori out with you."

I looked up hearing that. Not only was he sending me out on a mission – when I had just been released _yesterday_ – but he was sending me out with Danna. We had never had the chance to work together and I wasn't so sure it was a good idea, since the last two times I got near Sasori and a gun, something bad happened.

"Don't look so scared brat," Sasori said, "nothing bad will happen."

"That's right," Pein confirmed, "since I won't be around today to conduct bigger missions, I've selected something small which will also be good for helping you get used to this again."

"Are you sure he should be going out at all?" Konan asked concern in her amber eyes. She seemed to be the only one who realized I was still in trouble with the law.

"It will be fine," Itachi assured her.

That was a shock because usually he was dead against me doing anything like this. Maybe me being in prison had given him a chance to realize I wasn't as breakable as I looked?

"Huh, isn't this the part where you usually bitch out at Deidara for being so reckless?" Kisame asked, seeming as shocked as I felt.

Itachi sighed, "I do not _bitch out_," he said.

"Of course you don't, love," Kisame said quickly, shuddering at the dark aura suddenly surrounding the Uchiha.

Refocusing on Pein, I said, "So what do we need to do?"

* * *

A puzzle. How ridiculous is that? We had to steal a freaking _puzzle_.

"Seriously un, where does he get this shit from?" I asked Sasori while we sat on the bus. This mission required us going to the North side of town which made me nervous, since the last time I was there, I was thrown prison. "Does he like, have a hat full of stupid things to steal, which he draws from every morning?"

Sasori smiled slightly, though it was more of a nervous smile then a genuine one, "he probably does. I never hear him talking to any clients or anything and nobody comes to his apartment."

"But then, where does the money come from?" I mused. "Maybe it's all an elaborate scheme created by him and the leader of Oto, to convince us all that we're dangerous criminals."

"Well brat, as realistic as that sounds, I don't think that's it," Sasori told me. He seemed to think for a moment before he turned to me and spoke again, quietly so that nobody else would hear him, "so brat, I heard you can build explosives?"

"Un, I'm _real_ good at it too!" I said loudly, attracting unwanted attention from the rest of the bus. "How come?" I asked more quietly.

"Well because…" Sasori began, seeming hesitant to carry on, as though he had words in his mouth but couldn't bring himself to let them out, "Kakuzu tipped me off on an independent mission opportunity later on this week and I need you to make something big enough to bring down a building."

My eyes lit up. "R-really un?"

He nodded, almost solemnly.

"Can I be there when you set it off, un?" I asked excitedly. I loved the sight of explosions, and the sound as well. It was a strange little _quirk_ of mine, one that Itachi had grown familiar with by now.

I used to blow shit up all the time back in my hometown but now that I live in the city, I haven't had much of a chance to. Except for that _once_ during a mission, but that hardly counts.

Sasori nodded, "of course, that was my original plan. I don't know the first thing about explosives and I wouldn't want to accidently kill anybody, would I?"

"Aw why not? It'd be fun!" I said, once again getting strange looks from the other passengers. "Okay whatever, when do you need it by?"

"I think Kisame's working on getting you some parts today, and it'd be best if you work on it while Pein's not around."

"So today then, when he's at the doctors with Konan. I'll work on it then."

At that point, the bus stopped at that horribly large bus stop with all those loud, annoying people who certainly led better lives than me. I stepped lightly off of the bus and followed Danna down the street. We were breaking into a closed store, where there was a small puzzle in one of the backrooms that was being held for a buyer overseas. I didn't know what could possibly be so important about the puzzle but I didn't argue and just followed Sasori.

Once again, I found myself in the bad part of the North side, sooner than before. It contrasted heavily with the clean, happy atmosphere of the busier streets. Trash littered the ground here and graffiti covered the walls, just like before, and bundles of blankets were scattered haphazardly on the ground, housing hobo's and reeking of vodka. It was comforting to realize we weren't on the same streets as the Oto hideout but still, unnerving nonetheless.

When we reached the right address, Sasori tried the door, not surprisingly finding it locked. Luckily, I had been taught by an old friend – okay, Hidan taught me – how to pick locks.

"You think it's alarmed?" I asked absently as I kneeled by the door and plucked a bobby-pin from my hair – it always helped that my hair was stubborn and required pins – and got to work.

"No," Sasori said, "a shabby place like this in a street like this; no way it'd be alarmed."

I could feel his eyes on me as I continued working on the lock. I was a bit rusty, seeing as how I hadn't done it since Hidan and I were in high school and breaking into my step-father's liquor cabinet, but I imagined it was like riding a bike; something you never forget.

_Click!_

And just like that, it was done. I pushed the door open and got back to my feet, smiling proudly.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Sasori asked.

"Hidan," was my simple reply.

"Of course," he muttered.

We stepped into the store and I searched the wall for a light switch but found none. Oh well, it wasn't like I was scared of the dark or anything. I gave my eyes time to adjust.

"So where is this backroom, un?" I asked, not enjoying the way my voice sounded so loud.

"I don't know brat, maybe in the _back?_" he replied.

Pft, whatever.

The room smelled of old books and dust, and I could make out the shape of bookshelves though all of the visible windows were covered up so there was very little light. I guessed we were in an old bookstore or something and I ran my hands over the dusty shelves within my reach.

"Hey brat, I think I found it!" Sasori called form somewhere near the back.

I followed the sound and found myself in a lit up storage room full of boxes and rusty metal shelves. But there, sitting on one of the lower stacks of boxes, was a small all white puzzle with tiny sparkling diamonds along the frame.

"Oh, so that's why it's so important, un," I muttered.

Sasori nodded, lifting the puzzle carefully, in case of alarms.

"This has got to be one of the easiest missions I've ever been on un," I said.

Sasori chuckled, "just wait till you've been doing this for a few years brat, it only gets worse."

Then we both seemed to remember that I didn't have a few years to do this kind of thing and the air became tense. We wasted no time getting out of the building and once out in the fresh air, Sasori passed me the puzzle.

"I've got some things I need to take care of in the East side of town," he said, "you should head back and get started and I'll meet you back home, okay?"

I nodded and took the puzzle. Nothing else needed to be said.

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

After my mission with Deidara, Itachi and I went to the east side of town to meet up with Hidan's _'guy'._ Well technically the guy was a friend of a friend but that didn't matter because criminals have to look after each other and if this guy didn't help me I'd have to slowly kill off everyone he knows and loves until he agrees. Or something like that. I didn't want to go full psycho for Deidara just yet and I couldn't do this all on my own.

The address we were given led us to a small grey building, standing away from everything else. It was unmarked by any signs and lacked the graffiti that most of the other buildings wore. There were no windows on the first floor, only a door.

Stepping inside, we found ourselves in a small, yellow painted room with blue carpet and a single desk near the back wall, there were a few odd pictures on the wall, a plant in the corner and a sign that said, _"We don't ask, you don't tell."_

There was a service bell on the desk which I rang once, twice, thrice impatiently and soon, the door to the right of the desk opened and a kid around the same age as Itachi, stepped out. He had spikey, short black hair and a patch covering one of his eyes. He smiled a friendly smile and said, "Hello, can Tobi help you?"

Itachi frowned, "Tobi, what are you doing here? We were under the impression that you had died."

The boy blinked, "Itachi?" he asked and without warning he launched himself over the desk and into Itachi's arms. Somehow the boy managed to withstand the impact and stand standing. "Itachi! Tobi missed you so much, what are you doing here? Where's Deidara? Tobi tried to find you but nobody could tell me where you were!" the kid babbled.

"You know him?" I asked dully but really, I was on edge.

Itachi sighed, "This is Tobi," he said, "we went to high school together. Tobi let go."

Instantly the kid let go and stood on his own two feet, he looked at me with an idiotic smile that reminded me of the way Deidara looked at his jelly babies.

"Hello sir, I'm Tobi. Are you a friend of Itachi's?"

"Yes Tobi he is," Itachi drawled, "is there someone else here we can talk to? We were told this place was run by a grown-up"

"Tobi _is_ a grown-up!" the boy protested.

"A _capable_ grown-up."

"Oh. Tobi will be right back," with that he left the room.

"Did you and Deidara go to a school for the mentally challenged?" I asked.

"We went to a school for troubled and troublesome teens."

"Which were you?" I asked but Itachi only answered with a smirk, "Okay well what about the brat?"

"He's a criminal," Itachi replied simply, "and he had a bit of a dark past."

"That's not a conclusive answer. If he's got some sort of mental disease, I ought to know about it."

"Would it change your mind?"

"No."

"Well then it's not important."

I glared and was about to say something else but Itachi took out his phone and started texting, who he'd need to text at a time like this I didn't know but it was right about then that Tobi came back with a black and white man in tow.

"This is Tobi's friend Itachi," he said to the man, "he wants to speak with a grown-up," once again Tobi gave us that childish smile, "Itachi, this is Tobi's special friend, Zetsu."

Itachi and Zetsu exchanged nods of hello.

"Is there something you need?" the man asked almost politely.

"Yes, there are a few things actually; our friend said you could help us out."

**"Do you have money?"** his voice changed to become rougher and meaner. I wondered if this guy went to the same school because from the sounds of it, he was troubled.

Money, that was my job. I tossed an envelope – cliché I know – full of money onto the desk. We'd taken a guess of how much this would cost but it didn't put much of a dent in our funds. Zetsu picked up the envelope and counted the cast before he looked back up at us.

"Alright," he said, **"what do you need?"**

* * *

_CHAPTER TEN – Deidara's P.O.V_

Well, well, so Tobi is alive and what's more; he met someone. Good on him. He fell into the claws of the crime life as well so I guess Itachi was the only innocent one left. Though he wasn't completely innocent; from his texts, I got the impression that he was tormenting Sasori.

Yeah it's true; Itachi, Tobi, Hidan and I went to a school for troubled and troublesome teens but by no means would I fall simply under the first category. I was both, but if we're speaking officially then I did bad things; I lit fires, broke windows, stole from stores, lied about my age to police, alcohol stores and older men and I even on one occasion, stole a car. Surprisingly though, I was never caught by the cops but I could hide nothing from my step-father.

When I went to high school, Hidan was the first person I met. He fell under both categories; a religious nut who harmed himself and the people around him, a danger to society, our teachers used to say. Tobi was next, he suffered from… well a number of things really, he wasn't stupid despite the way he acted, no he was actually rather intelligent and that made him much more dangerous, he took an almost immediate liking to us though so we let him hang out with us.

Itachi was last and he displayed numerous anti-social behaviors and patterns. When we met, he was extremely reluctant to even talk, let alone make eye contact with anyone, but we worked on it. We made him our project and hung around him every day, talking and being idiots as usual. Slowly that wall he had around himself began to crumble and he was the best friend we could've hoped for.

After all, the only reason any of us even passed high school was because we cheated off of him.

His social phobias are almost all gone, at least enough for him to have a long-lasting, satisfying – and I knew it was because the walls were thin – relationship.

He texted me to tell me they were on their way back. I didn't know what they were up to and that scared me a little bit but I kept going with the task Sasori had set out for me. Pein probably wouldn't be happy to know that I was building another bomb but he was at the doctors with Konan so it didn't matter. Hopefully I'd be done by the time they got back.

By the time I _had_ built the thing, Sasori and Itachi were back; I had eaten all of my work jelly babies and made a huge mess. They each went to their respective apartments, slamming the doors shut equally loud.

"Brat, look at this mess," was the first thing Sasori said when he stepped into the apartment, he didn't sound angry, more amused than anything else. "What am I going to do with you?"

I yawned; it had been a long day, "sorry Danna, un. I'll clean it up later."

"Don't worry about it, did you at least finish?"

"Uh-huh," I smiled and held the tiny bomb up for him to see, "sorry un, but I had to sacrifice your alarm clock. It was annoying as hell though so you shouldn't miss it much."

"Annoying how?"

"Un, it kept waking me up."

"That's what it's supposed to do."

I shrugged, "oh well, it doesn't anymore. Unless you wanna take this apart and fix it, un?"

Sasori walked over to where I sat and sat himself down on the couch, "where'd you learn to do this anyway?"

I tapped my nose, "it's a secret, un," I said, yawning once again. Building bombs was tiring work, believe it or not.

Sasori nodded, "Tobi sends his regards, by the way."

"Un, Itachi told me the two of you ran into him. what were the two of you even doing, un?."

Sasori shrugged, "not a lot," he said casually.

Right then, I heard footsteps heading through the hall. Kakuzu and Hidan were out exploring alternate forms of income and Kisame hadn't left the apartment since he got back from a jelly baby run.

"Pein and Konan, un?" I asked.

"Let's go have a look."

So we got up, though it took me a while since my foot was asleep, and went out into the hall where Kisame and Itachi already were. Pein looked like he'd been raped by a ghost and Konan, well she was smiling and glowing sort of but she still looked rather sick.

"So, how'd it go?" Kisame asked eagerly.

"Yeah un," I added, "nothing bad right?"

Konan laughed and clapped her hands together like a small child; she said it loud enough so that the whole building, no, the whole street probably heard.

"I'm pregnant!"

* * *

**Even though it wasn't a comp. congrats to Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san for guessing.**


	16. Part 16

**okay, back to the short chapters... this one issn't really an important chapter but i just decided to write it anyway.**

**i'm having trouble coming up with more things to write about them stealing. *sighs* because it's harder then it sounds and nobody around me has any helpful suggestions. luckily though, it's almost over. the exciting (well, more or less so) should be in the next few chapters.**

**i apologise in advance for any typos...**

**Warnings:... uh, no warnings this time actually...**

**Disclaimer:...**

* * *

_CHAPTER SIXTEEN – Deidara's P.O.V_

It had been three days since we stole that puzzle and I hadn't been sent out on another mission yet. Nobody had. I suspected it was to do with the kid, but nobody said anything.

I spent my days working at the café. Surprisingly they still took me back even though the owner knew about my run-in with the law and I was able to pretend for a while that I was a normal person, rather than a criminal awaiting my trial.

There was no defense I had other than throwing the rest of the Akatsuki under the bus and it was a little too late to consider that as an option. The only other chance for me would be if I could somehow prove it wasn't me or that it was in self-defense, which it was, but I had also been there to steal something from Oto. They had every right to shoot me in defense of their property.

I was going away it seemed. Away for a long time. Maybe I'd even get a life sentence due to the magnitude of my crimes. Or the crimes I was taking the fall for. But it was better for me to be in there, since I had nothing out here to live for. My mother hated me, my step-father couldn't care less what happened to me, I had no _real_ employable skills – unless you counted my criminal abilities – and I had next to no love life.

Sure, there was what I had with Sasori, but a guy like him? He was better off without me, especially considering all of the things I did before I met him. If he knew the truth about me, he wouldn't stick around much longer.

I knew he and Itachi had their own little plan for keeping me out of jail, I just didn't know what it could possibly be. Knowing Itachi, I could only imagine the horrible things he had planned. He wouldn't stop at anything when it came to protecting one of us from such a fate, which concerned me a little.

But I thought maybe, it would be fun to play prison for a while. if I stayed out of everybody's way – or you know, struck down anyone in my way, depending on my mood – I'd be able to pretend it was just another normal part of my life. It's not like I had any plans or dreams anyway.

Where I came from, dreams were discouraged. And so I tossed them all away.

Breakfast on the fourth day marked the arrival of a new mission. Finally.

I didn't want to spend another moment around conflicted Konan, unusually paranoid Itachi or overly suspicious Sasori.

"You and I will be stealing a music box," Pein told me. He looked a little stressed out.

"_You're_ going out on a mission, un?" I asked, incredulously. Last time he sent himself out on a mission, I ended up blowing a room up.

"yes, but to be fair, it is only a small mission with very little chance of us being hurt," he said distantly, "and I'll be needing the two of you," he pointed loosely at Hidan and Kakuzu, "to steal every pair of scissors present from the salon down the road and you," he pointed at Kisame and Sasori, "will be required to recover a set of porcelain dolls."

For a moment everything was quiet and nobody asked a single question until…

"Why the fuck would you give me such a stupid mission?" Hidan was of course, the first to speak. "wat could _anybody_ possibly do with that amount of scissors?!"

Pein shrugged, "you can't blame me for what people pay for," he said.

"Who the fuck pays for _that?!"_ Hidan demanded.

Konan sighed, having long given up on getting him to stop swearing, she pinched the bridge of her nose out of annoyance. She hadn't been sleeping well lately and I had found her on more than one occasion crying in the stairwell for reasons she couldn't explain at all. I had spent a lot of time just sitting with her and trying to get her to talk to me, but it never worked and I never pressed too hard.

I suspected she was _also_ worrying about the baby. Before, she only had to worry about herself so it didn't matter if she lived in a dank, dingy apartment in the bad side of town, around a bunch of criminals – _and_ a chain smoker – but after the initial butterflies of finding out she was pregnant, had worn off, she was only left with dread.

That's what Sasori seemed to think as well.

Itachi's watch alarm went off and he stood, solely out of habit.

"Do you need a ride to work?" he asked Konan.

She groaned and buried her head in her hands, "do I have to go?" she whined.

"I already contacted your boss," Pein murmured absently, "you're sick. You shouldn't go in today."

"Good," Konan mumbled, standing groggily, "I'm going back to bed."

She and Itachi walked out, the latter helping her to walk straight in her tired state.

Pein ignored them purposefully and turned to us.

"Okay, let's get started."

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

Kisame and I had to break into an auction house, where a set of porcelain dolls was in storage, waiting to be sold off to the highest bidder. A bit like a hooker, if you really think about it. Only the dolls had no choice of who they ended up with, or even if they wanted to be sold or not. They were just there and had to go along with whatever happened to them.

They were beautiful though. Their perfectly curled hair was soft and shiny, skin flawless and old fashioned dresses in near new state, they were perfect. Okay, I have a little _thing_ for dolls. Do not judge.

Kisame and I piled them _carefully_ into the back of the van – Pein opted to take the bus so we got the van – box by box. There were about fifty so we had to make a few trips but it was a small, unnoticeable auction house, very accessible from the back and with minimum security.

We had them all piled in just as the clouds began to get dark and sinister.

I decided to reward myself with a cigarette.

"So," Kisame said uncertainly. He had forgiven me begrudgingly with a little persuasion from Itachi. "'Tachi told me what you guys are going to do."

My heart sank.

I had done my best lately to forget what I still needed to do.

Tobi had gotten back to us though; they had taken care of everything.

The bomb was complete. It would wipe away everything. There would be no evidence at all left to prove what had been done.

"Yeah," I said, taking a drag before continuing, "has to be done."

"You're sure about it then?"

I nodded slowly and confidently. "Yes. There's no other way. You'd do the same to keep Itachi out of prison, wouldn't you?"

He thought for a moment, thinking over all of the possible outcomes, thinking about how many people he'd be able to kill in Itachi's defense before he was stopped and ultimately realizing there was no better way.

"I suppose I would," he said finally, "and you're puling yourself out of the Akatsuki as well?"

I nodded, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"There's nothing left for me here. This life really has nothing left to offer so there's no point in sticking around."

_CRACK!_

A loud burst of thunder sounded suddenly, causing Kisame and myself to flinch _slightly_ right before a bolt of lightning lit up the dark, cloudy sky.

"We should head back," I said, dropping the remainder of my cigarette ad stomping it into the ground.

* * *

_Deidara's P.O.V_

_CRACK!_

The sky split open and tiny droplets of water cascaded down to wash the earth clean.

The sun would be back later to clean away the cold, wet water but for now I got to stand in the middle of a transient sea.

I threw my head back in laughter, enjoying the way the water felt against my skin and dripping through my hair. I was loving every moment of it. The way the water soaked through my clothes and dragged the material down, the way it smelled, the way it splashed softly against my face, hands, body. I had always, always liked the rain.

We were in an empty yard full of storage sheds. I was keeping watch having already picked the lock to the necessary door but the rain was so… refreshing. Maybe if I stayed out in it long enough, all of my dirt and deep seeded shame would wash away, but that was wishful thinking.

In reality all I did, was twirl around in the rain a little, breathing in the last fleeting moments of freedom.

"I found it," Pein quietly informed me and I turned back reluctantly, to see what we had come all this way for.

It was a very simple wooden box with a fake orange gem on top. When it was opened and wound up, it played _For Elise, _that old song which reminded me of old memories, when my mother was sober and my real father was still around.

"What would anybody pay us to steal that for, un?" I asked, noting that the box was rather ugly.

Pein shrugged, "sentimental value I suppose," he said. "In fact, a lot of the items we steal are wanted for some form of sentimental value."

"and the scissors, un?"

The ghost of a smile graced his face if only for a second before he spoke.

"I wanted to get Hidan and Kakuzu out of the building. Konan really needs her sleep."

He pulled the sliding tin door down and it closed with a metallic _clank!_

We began to walk back to the yards entrance, neither of us really minding the rain.

"That's right un, I bet it's exhausting being pregnant, huh?"

"I wouldn't know, but even just the thought of having a baby is…"

"Terrifying, un?" I finished off for him.

He laughed a small, nervous, almost bitter laugh. "Exactly. I know it must sound ridiculous, after all, I've faced much worse but that's part of the problem. What if I'm too… dangerous to be a father?"

I was barely able to suppress my laughter, once again that bluntness prison provided me with was kicking in and I fought to keep it down.

"That's such a stupid thing to think, un!" I said loudly, slapping both hands over my mouth immediately after.

Pein stared at me, waiting for an explanation to my words.

Dammit!

"Well it is, un!" I protested. "What in the world makes you think you'd be a bad father?"

"I lead the Akatsuki, a _criminal organization._ How am I supposed to raise a family _and_ a successful business?" he asked me calmly.

We had stopped walking and stood still in the rain, letting the clear, clean water cascade down on top of us and clean away any negativity or impurities.

"_Exactly_ un! You run the _Akatsuki._ If you can handle us, you can surely handle a child!"

He thought about it for a while and I knew exactly what he was thinking. That one thing that made such a defense, mean nothing. That one little area where he had slipped up during his role as Akatsuki leader.

"You're going to prison. If I were such a good leader, that wouldn't be happening right now."

"That's not true. Even if I hadn't joined the Akatsuki, it was only a matter of time before I landed myself in the big house anyway, un. You helped me live a little on the way there," I told him, one hundred percent sure of what I said.

He looked down uncertainly at his feet, no doubt thinking about my words and the likeliness of them being true. They were, of course. He was a good leader, he was good to Konan, and he was good at dealing with us when we did wrong. He was definitely a better father figure then I had ever had.

The only thing he should be worried about was the Akatsuki and what it might do to his kid. I wanted to suggest disbanding the group about three months into Konan's pregnancy but somehow I didn't think he would take that idea into serious consideration.

"You're right," he said finally. He began to walk again and I followed him, barely hearing his mumbled, "thank you."


	17. Part 17

**I feel like i write too much. like seriously, i think i have an illness that caused me to write an excessive amount... eh whatever... um.. sort of sad chapter? well it made me sad to write...**

**Warnings: bad plot? sadness? SWEARING! Deidara swears a lot here. and also bad fighting.**

**DISCLAIMER: i do not own, sadly.**

* * *

_CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – Sasori's P.O.V_

Early morning missions were always my least favorite. Because it was dark, cold and I had to wake up early. Plus, there was always a chance that I wouldn't come back. Now on the off chance that I _was_ killed… well I didn't want the brat to wake up to that news.

Speaking of the brat, it was only two more days before I got him away from the Akatsuki and out of trouble. Permanently.

He wouldn't feel a thing.

It would be quick, painless and over before it started.

And it would be worth it.

He was asleep right now, tangled up in the sheets, his arms wrapped around his pillow and his blonde hair a mess. It was better when he was asleep. When he wasn't aware of the world and couldn't speak words that were too harsh to possibly come from his pretty mouth. It was almost as though he was ignorant of the world's cruelty, but when he opened those blue eyes of his, full of practiced innocence, it was possible he might know more of it then even I did.

But not anymore, never again. I was going to make sure he had a good ending with no more suffering.

But right now, I had to go out on a mission.

Now Akatsuki is, under no circumstances, a cab service but occasionally we are hired to escort people. For instance, if somebody feels threatened, they may require an escort to get them somewhere safely. And in these cases, we made be needed as simple means of transportation or as bodyguards. Basically, Pein let people hire us as meatheads from time to time and a majority of the group's injuries over the years came from missions just like that.

Another important thing about these types of missions is that we don't take sides. Ever. We're an impartial organization and we're only in it for the money.

On this particular day, I was required to escort Hinata Hyuuga back to her hotel. Pein didn't give me all of the details but I knew the basics; her partner owned a chain of nightclubs which he used as a cover for his drug trading. He had pissed off some bad people, made a couple of dangerous enemies and basically I was hired to protect his girl from danger.

I picked her up outside a club downtown, though I was sure most clubs closed at 3am.

She was covered up in a thick jacket and avoided looking directly at me as I helped her into the van – we _really_ needed a cooler car – but I suppose she thought I was some sort of dangerous criminal who would turn against her at any given moment.

Pein had given me the address of the drop off point and so we fell into an awkward silence. Hell, even the street lights made more sound against the still black sky.

I'm usually the kind of guy who works well in the silence but for some reason, I felt like I couldn't handle it today, and so I spoke, albeit awkwardly, "so… you're a stripper?"

Her face went red and she attempted to hide it in a mass of loose sleeve.

"N-no," she stuttered out, embarrassed, "no." she repeated more firmly.

"Oh so um… you're a _hoo_ –"

"I-I um... uh… I w-work th-there," she said, cutting me off with her small voice, "M-my fiancé o-owns it."

Wow. That's not awkward at all, is it?

And I hadn't realized her fiancé owned _that_ club. Now things were starting to make sense.

"So you're marrying Neji Hyuuga?"

"Y-yeah."

"But I mean, don't you worry about how things are going to work out?"

I was of course, projecting my own thoughts and problems onto her. The best second opinion – though it would be a fifth opinion if you counted the others I had asked – I could get, would be from a stranger.

"N-no I uh… I-I don't," she stuttered, "I kn-know that n-no matter wh-what th-that as l-long a-as I have h-him, th-things will b-be fine."

A perfectly unhelpful answer.

"I see," I said. Not really seeing at all.

From then, we fell back into silence. She didn't seem to mind and I just focused on the road.

It was still dark but the sun was beginning to rise and more people were out then before.

I checked about every five seconds to make sure we weren't being followed because I'd be damned before I let myself be killed when I was this close.

Finally, we reached her hotel, the sun was just beginning to emerge from behind the buildings, giving everything a darker appearance.

"do you need me to escort you inside?" I asked. Nothing at all interesting had happened but this had only been a precaution mission anyway. Pein seemed to like sending me out on such useless missions.

"N-no thank you," she whispered, "o-oh and I'm s-sure wh-whatever you're having t-trouble w-with will w-work out."

She got out of the van, closing the door as quietly as possible before walking delicately to the hotel entrance. She was a nice enough girl, smart too but she was stuck in a dead end world. Just like Deidara or Itachi or Konan. But she didn't seem as broken down by it.

Perhaps more had been done to protect her innocence. Either that or she was simply a very good actor.

It was time for me to head back now. The brat and I had a meeting with his lawyer later. Not that it would matter.

Deidara and I would be moving on by the end of the week.

* * *

_Deidara's P.O.V_

I was awakened at the crack of dawn by a knock at the door.

God. who would be knocking right now?

What the hell is wrong with people?!

"Danna, get the door!" I yelled sleepily.

I waited until I heard the knocking again before I opened my eyes, blinking in annoyance at the light streaming in from my open curtains.

Dammit Danna!

I got out of bed, not even bothering to put on a shirt before I went to answer the door. Whoever it was interrupting me from my sleep would be lucky if they got away un-maimed.

Slowly I pulled the door open and very nearly slammed it closed again. In fact I would've if it hadn't been for the foot stuck in the doorway – not that I wouldn't have been perfectly happy to break the foot, but you see, I had just woken up and was in no position to go around breaking feet.

"Deidara?" the voice was cheery and full of glee at the very sight of me and I wanted nothing more than to throw myself out of the nearest window so I didn't have to hear it so early.

It wasn't that I hated Tobi. No he was actually a good friend of mine but I wasn't in the mood for dealing with him right now! Especially not this early!

"Deidara!" Tobi launched himself at me, wrapping his arms around me tightly in a suffocating hug. We lost balance and toppled to the ground, my back hitting the ground hard.

And this is why I didn't want to deal with him right now.

"Tobi didn't believe you were still alive!"

I frowned, speaking with a lot of effort, "where the hell did you hear otherwise, un?"

"Hidan told Tobi rumors that you were dead," Tobi said sadly, "but they won't be rumors for long, will they?"

Huh?

"What are you talking about Tobi, un?" I asked, pushing him off of me, "I plan to stay alive for a while yet, un."

"O-oh… Tobi didn't mean anything by it," he said, _almost_ nervously, getting back to his feet and hiding something behind his back; a yellow envelope.

"Tobi un, why did you come over here?" I asked suspiciously.

"N-no reason…" he said, looking around. "Is Itachi's friend Sasori here?"

"Why, un?"

"If he's not here, Tobi will come back later."

"Don't worry about that, if you have something for him, I could always pass it on, un."

"Tobi doesn't think that's a very good idea."

"Tobi un, give me the fucking envelope!" I growled. Whatever was in it must have something to do with Itachi and Sasori's plan for keeping me out of jail.

Tobi shook his head and backed away.

"Um… Tobi thinks he should leave now."

But I wasn't having that. It was morning time – seriously, why the hell would he get up this early? – And I wasn't in the mood for fooling around. I blocked the door before he could leave.

"Aw don't be like that Tobi, you just got here un," I said.

A small battle then ensued for the envelope, by which I mean, I grabbed Tobi's arm and twisted it behind his back until he let the envelope go. I then scrambled to the ground in an attempt to grab it, only to be thrown off by Tobi's foot colliding with my back.

"I can't let you do that, Deidara," he said, all joy gone from his voice.

"Stop being a bitch Tobi, un!" I yelled. I struggled to stand with his foot still pressing me down.

"Tobi is sorry Deidara, but if you don't already know what's going on then Tobi can't allow you to open that envelope. Tobi will come back later."

I felt the pressure on my back grow as he pressed down harder, while bending down to retrieve the stupid yellow thing which lay just out of my reach. But I also knew that he was very unbalanced at that moment so I used all of my remaining strength and turned my body, sending him toppling over onto the ground.

I wasted no time crawling across the floor and taking advantage of his moment of disorientation. I snatched the envelope up, sitting down on his stomach, pinning his hands with my knees so he wouldn't be able to stop me this time. I had to resist the urge to punch him. He really _was_ being a bitch today.

"Deidara please don't!" Tobi said, the childish tone re-entered his voice, "you're going to get Tobi in trouble!"

I scoffed, "Un, after that little display, you really think I care right now?" I asked him.

"_Deidara!_" he whined but I tuned his voice out after that. I also managed to ignore the feeling of him squirming beneath me, trying to get free.

I undid and opened the tall envelope and tipped its contents out on top of Tobi. At first sight, it was just a bunch of papers. But I knew from the panicked look in Tobi's one visible eye that this was what I wasn't meant to see.

I picked up a bundle of papers and skimmed over them quickly, my eyes really not seeing much as I was so tired. I blinked to gain some sort of focus.

"Deidara _please_," Tobi whimpered, attempting one last time to convince me that this wasn't a good idea. But good idea or not, I was going to do it.

I read the papers a little more carefully, my eyes widening as more than once, my name came up alongside words like _dead_ or _died_. There was a date too, two days away from right then. And there was a plan as well as a few other documents, some with my name and picture, and some with Danna's. His name was also mentioned next to the words _dead_ and _died._

Basically, they were papers detailing our death, and other papers I really couldn't believe.

So this had been there plan all along?

What the hell had Danna been thinking?

I was so _angry_ I could've killed Tobi right then and there – after all, he was the messenger – but I forced myself to keep reading, ignoring his pained cries as my knees pressed down much harder, maybe even breaking something. And I ignored the sound of the door creaking open.

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

The very first thing I saw when I opened the door, was the messy state of the room adjacent to the kitchen. I then saw Deidara shirtless on top of some guy, shaking slightly, while the other begged to be let up.

It was a strange scene to walk in on and could be easily interpreted wrong – which would lead me to murdering the other man – but I ignored the things my mind was pointing out and moved closer, to get a better look.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed the other man was Tobi, Itachi's friend.

Oh shit.

I could only see one side of his face from where I was, but Deidara looked _pissed._ His mouth was open, teeth clenched shut tightly, his nails had torn right through the paper and were digging into his hands, a small trail of blood running down his arm.

"Brat?" I asked uncertainly. I knew I was in trouble.

"You stupid, lying, son of a bitch," Deidara said in a low tone, looking up at me slowly, murder in his usually beautiful blue eyes. "You _really_ thought you could go through with this? What the hell is wrong with you, un?!"

He stood up, Tobi becoming a prop in the background, paralyzed by Deidara's anger.

"Calm down brat, I can explain," I started to say, but he wouldn't let me speak.

"Shut up, un!" he yelled, throwing the papers in my face, they fell, scattered at my feet, "quit confusing me!"

"I'm not trying to confuse you brat, I just –"

"You just what, Danna? _Just, what, un?!_"

He was acting crazy. But then, he had just read those papers… so he had every right to act this way.

"Calm down. I bet if you think about this rationally, you'll understand," I told him calmly. I took an uncertain step closer, reaching out slowly to try and stop his shaking – it probably wasn't healthy.

But before I could get too close, he hit me. I'm not talking just a light slap or girly little punch, no that boy can hit. His fist connected with my jaw with a sick _crack!_

"Leave me the fuck alone, un!" he yelled.

Deidara turned and went towards the door, stomping his feet loudly, he walked out and slammed the door. Of course it was only a few moments later that he came back in and marched into his bedroom, mumbling on about how he'd forgotten to put on a shirt.

This time, before he left, Deidara turned to me and said, "And don't even think about showing up later when I go to meet Itachi, un!" before slamming the door behind him.

Five minutes later, I was still standing there in the silence of the room, broken only by the pained groans of Tobi.


	18. Part 18

**Gawd. i broke a window at school, like, a door's glass panel window. because i kicked it. hard. twas scary as hell when i was confronted about it... but i used my words to get myself out of trouble ^^**

**Warnings:swearing? im pretty sure i swore a lot in here.**

**Disclaimer:MENOOWN**

* * *

_CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – Deidara's P.O.V_

At first I didn't really know where to go. I just knew I had to get away from there.

Was I angry? Well, yeah. I was.

Did I have a good reason to be?

Well that depends on who you ask… but he was going to _kill_ me. Not just me, but himself as well.

We only met like… _four months_ ago. Seriously, who _does_ that?

But really, I was more upset that he would do something like that, _blindly_. He didn't know me that well, only the _simple_ truths that Itachi and I had told him. But he didn't know all of those little things that made me sick sometimes, to think about.

I mean obviously, to end up in the Akatsuki, you've got to have some sort of problems, but I doubt we went through the same sort of things.

If he knew the weak, pathetic kid I used to be, well he wouldn't have even considered something stupid like this.

As it was, I wandered around for a while, wondering what I was going to do.

I knew I had to go to that meeting with my lawyer later. That was a must.

And obviously, I'd _have_ to go home sometime.

Home, it didn't feel right thinking of it like that. But at the same time, it was the closest thing I'd ever had that felt like a real home. And I'd have to face Sasori again. That was inevitable though I was beginning to regret punching him. That was probably a bit dramatic but hey, I was angry.

The least he could've done was to warn me about this. Of course, I would've immediately disagreed but now, I don't know. I was actually starting to warm up to the idea.

And it felt _sick._ To think about such things and to actually like the idea of leaving this world.

After all, what did I have left to live for? My whole life was gone anyway; wasted by my foolish inability to pay attention in school, or to actually _try_ staying out of trouble. In fact, I could go along with Sasori's plan simply because I had nothing left to lose, exactly the reason I joined the Akatsuki, as well. And I would be free from them whereas otherwise, as soon as being let out of prison, I'd be expected to rejoin.

The only thing that would actually stop me would be Sasori himself.

He must have something in this world; something keeping him here. I wouldn't want him to give up his life just to keep me out of trouble.

I sat on a park bench, swinging my feet casually back and forth.

It was autumn. I'd been here for four months and it was autumn now. How fitting; the season for change. Of course it was late autumn and most of the trees were bare by now, the only evidence that they had ever had leaves, were the crushed remains flattened on the moist footpath.

The sky was cloudy. It was cold and windy. The sort of weather I'd always liked.

In prison, I wouldn't be able to enjoy simple luxuries like sitting out in the park, watching the world change.

Could it possibly be that I didn't want to think about it, I didn't want to consider his _stupid_ plan, because I knew he was right? This was the only way available for me to have a happy ending.

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

I went to breakfast alone that morning, after collecting the papers and sending Tobi back.

I didn't see the brat coming back for at least a few hours, if he came back at all. He was _really_ pissed off. And he left a rather bad mark but I had of course, faced worse and I would no doubt face worse still, if he decided to come back.

Pein briefly asked me how the mission went and I gave him a one-worded reply. Konan asked me what had happened to my face and I told her as gently as I could, that Deidara was a stupid fucking brat who didn't know how to control his anger. Other than that I really didn't feel like talking.

Of course, it wasn't to be that simple and before long, Itachi spoke.

"Where _is_ Deidara?" he asked.

I knew I had to give an answer and I briefly considered lying but it would come out later when they saw each other.

"Tobi came to visit while I was out," I said. And that was all that needed to be said. Itachi, Kisame and Hidan all got that same look on their faces. That look that said they all knew somebody somewhere along the line, had fucked up. Kakuzu also knew of our plan but he wasn't bothered either way.

"Fuck, did he –"

"Yeah," I said, cutting Hidan off.

"And Deidara–"

"Yeah," and I cut Kisame off as well.

"So where is he now?" Itachi asked.

"Hell if I know. But he'll still be meeting up with Sasuke later. You think you could talk some sense into him?"

Itachi nodded, "I'll do my best."

Pein and Konan were looking at us as if they didn't know what was going on. Which they didn't.

"Who is Tobi?" Pein asked, eyeing us suspiciously.

"We went to high school with him," Itachi replied simply. Everybody knew that by _we_, he meant Deidara, Hidan and himself.

"And does this _Tobi_ have any interest in joining the Akatsuki?"

"That's just what I fucking need!" Hidan exclaimed, "More damn competition!"

"No, I don't think he'd be very interested in a group like this," Itachi said, "he's already involved with a different group."

Just in time to avoid any further explanations, the alarm on Itachi's watch went off.

"Do you need a ride to work, Konan?" he asked.

Konan was looking a lot better lately. Of course, I knew as her pregnancy progressed, she'd be having a lot of moments like the one she had before. My plan to kill Deidara was going to help ease her stress, but I don't know what's going to happen about that now.

"Yes please," she said cheerfully.

We had already discussed missions and besides the escorting I did earlier, there was nothing for us to do. I supposed I'd just go back to my apartment and try to catch up on sleep.

I _could_ go out and search for Deidara but I knew that if he didn't want me to find him, it wouldn't do me any good. I'd have to rely on Itachi to talk some sense into him.

* * *

_Deidara's P.O.V_

When it was time for me to meet with the lawyer, I made my way to the spot we usually met – well you know, since I got out of prison.

It was a small out of the way diner that served the best pancakes _ever_ and since it was never too late for breakfast, I ordered myself some.

Itachi and Sasuke didn't get there until I was halfway through my second plate – what, I hadn't eaten all day. They sat down across from me and it wasn't long before we got started.

I had always hated these little meetings; they made me feel so stupid. Especially since I couldn't understand much of what baby Uchiha was saying. I mean, yeah I got it, I was basically screwed unless I told the truth which just wasn't going to happen. Not today, not tomorrow and certainly not in a million years.

There was also the small, distant window of pleading temporary insanity, but I wasn't going to go down that road.

And when I didn't get what he was saying to me; he would just laugh that stupid laugh that said I should've tried harder in school. Well you know what? I was too _busy_ in school, catching up on my sleep, to want to focus. But if I said that, Sasuke would say a bunch of other things, which would lead around to me being called a _whore_.

Which by the way, I disagree with. It's not called being a whore, when it's love – or at least when they say they love you. But if I said that, he would call me stupid and I would be forced to think about how stupid I really was.

That was a road I really didn't want to go down.

So I just nodded and made small noises of agreement every now and then.

Then there was Itachi. Just sitting there. Sitting there like he had had no part in planning my death.

What was wrong with these people?

I think Sasuke just asked me a question. But it doesn't matter; I had a question of my own.

"So Itachi un, you and Sasori –"

"That's right," Itachi said slowly, casually as if he didn't care, "don't tell me you've got a problem with it _now_. Don't you remember when we were in high school?"

I gritted my teeth together, growling at him. "That was different, un!" I said.

"Really?" he asked, in that same annoying, careless tone, "you tried to get away from a really bad situation, how is this any different?"

"It just is, Itachi un. You can't compare back then to right now. You just can't!"

"You know, I'd say you have more reason now then you ever did back then. Not to mention that you have somebody who actually cares about –"

"Un, back then I had you."

"Deidara, what is your problem? To you _want_ to go to prison? Ask Hidan, it _sucks._"

Throughout the conversation, Sasuke looked on confusedly, as if he had no idea what we were talking about. But he was a suck-up and would never go against Itachi no matter what happened.

"This entire _world_ sucks, I hate it un!"

Itachi smirked, apparently having heard something he agreed with.

"So then, there's no reason for you to stay in it, is there?"

And, as much as I hated to admit it, he was right. Really, he was _always_ right so I shouldn't have been surprised.

"I see, that was your plan all along wasn't it un?"

"Sure was."

Sneaky bastards. Or bastard I should say. It was just the sort of thing Itachi would come up with.

In my final moments in this stupid world, I would realize just how much I hated it and how great it was that I didn't have to live in it anymore. And I would be happy that Danna was taking me away to the next life, whatever it might be. _Wherever_ it might be.

So now it was just the question of…

_Am I really ready to die?_

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

I was in trouble with the brat. So I decided to raid his room for more jelly babies, since I was officially out of smokes and I didn't want to spend any more of his money on getting more. Besides, it was time I got ready to quit.

I spent most of the day sleeping or watching T.V or sometimes doing both. Even if that did make it harder to see what was going on.

There were no missions and Hidan and Kakuzu went out, perusing other income opportunities – really, they were just as greedy as each other, even if Hidan claimed not to be at all. Kisame was holed up in his and Itachi's apartment, obsessing over those stupid crime drama shows he loves so much and Pein… well I never really know where he goes when he's not hanging out with us.

Things only started getting interesting when Deidara came home, around five.

The door creaked open and he stuck his head in slowly, almost nervously.

"H-hey Danna, un," he said awkwardly, walking into the apartment, "I've kinda been thinking, un."

"That's rare," I replied. I was currently digging around in the fridge for my Pepsi, which I had recently misplaced.

"I mean, I don't really know a lot about you and you don't know much about me and it just makes it harder to decide whether this is the right thing to do or not, un."

"What do you mean?"

"I've done bad things, un. I've done stupid things. I've done downright disgusting things for reasons I can't even name, un. I just don't want to put you through all that trouble, when you don't really know who I am."

"Wait, so you're actually considering it right now?"

He nodded, "yes un, Itachi managed to convince me," _ha, I knew Itachi would be able to do it,_ "but I just, I'm not sure un."

I offered him a small smile, I knew exactly what he was trying to say and what I should say in turn, "I'm not going to leave you brat," I said, "the truth is, before I left home, I did some bad things as well and had some bad things happen in my life. It's one of the things I like most about you; you're just as damaged as me."

"Un, Danna did something wrong?"

I nodded, "yes brat, I did something very wrong."

He looked at me; eyes big and wide, he whispered, "Wh-what did you do, un?"

I'd never told anybody the reason I left though Pein had his suspicions, I was afraid that if I told someone, they'd leave me and it was comforting now to know Deidara felt the same way. I knew the secrets of everyone around me, but the brat was the only person I'd ever consider telling mine.

"Well I…" he looked at me as I spoke, eager and waiting; "I killed somebody."

* * *

**uhh... i had a whole chapter written on the pasts i made up for Sasori and Deidara, but im not sure if i should post it or not... if you don't want to read it speak now or deal with it.**


	19. Part 19

**...yeah, this took me all of three minutes to find and edit.. might suck though..**

**um, anonymous reveiwer brought up a point, and actually no. the only memebers of Akatsuki in this story who havwe commited a murder, are Hidan and Sasori.**

**Warnings: awkward character placement & way off from being cannon**

**Disclaimer:...**

* * *

_CHAPTER NINETEEN – still Sasori's P.O.V_

It was silence for a moment, as he took in what I'd said. Then he spoke, albeit uncertainly.

"You mean somebody besides that Oto guy?"

"Yeah, brat, somebody besides him. And it was worse than that; I actually knew the guy."

He blinked his big blue eyes and said, "so un, are you gonna tell me what happened?"

I sighed. "Sure, there can't be any harm in it now."

***Past, Flashback Type Thing***

The year my parents died, I was ten. They had gotten themselves into a lot of trouble and were affiliated with gangs even before I was born. They sold, stole, made and took drugs. That's the kind of environment I grew up in.

Their friends, or gang mates I should say, were constantly coming over to our house before their death, they'd pinch my cheeks and smile and talk down to me like a child. Disgusting, I hated all of them. And even when my parents died – killed in a shootout with a rival gang – their friends never failed to show up, only now they treated me as more of a grown-up.

Along with school, I was expected to pick up the slack, take charge and handle all the work my parents had left. My grandmother, who raised me from that point, tried to discourage me, but I was more afraid of the gang leaders then I was of her.

I went through my life with that shadow over me. We lived in a small, backwards little town and everyone knew everything. It was no secret at all that I'd taken up my parent's line of work and my social life suffered severely because of it. Not that I minded; I'd never liked people much anyway.

My cousin's father was another member, second in command only to the man I'd end up killing. As well as school and _work_ I helped to raise his motherless children, though the oldest wasn't much younger than me, I feared if they weren't paid enough attention, they'd end up like me and as the last people on this earth that I cared about, I didn't want that to happen.

It was said that I had grown up too fast. I excelled in all classes and at the same time, I had seen things most of the children at my age – which was about thirteen at the time – would never want to see in their lifetime.

I had a couple of girlfriends, a couple of boyfriends, nothing too serious until I was sixteen. Her name was Matsuri, I guess if you really wanted to, you could say I loved her. But somehow she got an idea in her head that since I was in the drug trade, I'd be exciting and dangerous. Should've seen it coming; the only girls who would knowingly date a guy like me, are either emotionally shattered or some kind of adrenaline junkies.

Eventually, when I was about seventeen, she broke up with me, said she'd been seeing my youngest cousin Gaara for a while now.

Whatever, I didn't really care about her (lies.)

I got more involved with _work_ and found out my uncle was planning to stage a coup and seize control of gang. There had been a lot of changes lately, things that us older members – after seven years, I was one of the older members – didn't particularly like and we were beginning to question the judgment of our leader. Had he gone mad? Was he planning something that we didn't know about? Could we trust him?

In the end, it was decided that no, we couldn't. But uncle refused to let me be a part of it, he demanded I stay home with the children and our grandmother. So I did but I wasn't happy about it.

Around ten the same night, my oldest cousin Temari, who knew of her father's plans, said she would watch the kids and that I should be fighting as well. So I went, feeling as though I were heading down the same path as my parents. I arrived at the hole – we called our hideout the hole, because it was a real hell-hole – and saw everything was at peace. No blood had been spilt, nothing had been disturbed. It was eerie.

Then our leader, _my_ leader, revealed himself, we called him the Sandaime, because no one knew his real name. His eyes sparkled with amusement and he said, "Isn't it past your bedtime, boy?"

I growled at him but I couldn't find the words to speak. Where were the others? They should be here by now; there should be a fight going on, a war, a revolution. What was going on?

"You know you're just like your father?" he continued, "or was it your mother? I can't remember. Not that it matters they were both useless little rats, disposable just like you."

"Don't speak about them that way!" I had yelled.

"Why not? It's the truth isn't it? You can ask anyone, they were a liability, and I was glad to see them gone."

"Wh-what?"

He laughed, towering over me, taking a few steps towards me.

"Poor naive boy, you think their death was an accident, don't you?" he asked, "I wonder how you'd react if you found out their murder was commissioned by me. Or that their murderer, wait no you have a guess, I'm sure you've got a few ideas."

"I don't have time for this!" I yelled. Not that I had other things to do, but his words were cutting and cold. The very people I trusted, had they betrayed me?

"You're a lot like them, Sasori. Curious and annoying, you poke you nose in places it doesn't belong; you bend the rules just a little too far and we can't have that, now can we?" he took out a gun. I had seen them before, seen them fired but never had I ever had one pointed at me.

It was at that point that I lashed out, my hand closed around the first thing it touched and I swung, the bullet he shot out just barely went through me. It hurt but I kept swinging, angry and scared and feeling as though my entire life had been a lie. I hit him until I was sure he was dead. It was messy; the room was covered in blood and so was I.

I left that same night, left with nothing. I did what I needed to do to survive and I ended up in the apartment and with the Akatsuki. I never found out whether Temari had been setting me up but I didn't care, it wouldn't have stopped me from loving her, she and her brothers were the only ones I had ever really loved and that wasn't to change for a long time.

_Deidara's P.O.V_

Hearing the reason Danna was here made me sad. But what made it even worse, was that I was happy his life had sucked. Otherwise, he and I never would've met and my stay here wouldn't have been nearly as interesting.

But I knew it was my turn to speak now, which made my stomach churn. Still, through the fear I found strength to speak.

***Flashback Past Type Thing***

I was about thirteen when my father passed away. I wasn't very close to him, actually we hated each other but I couldn't bear the thought of having no chance to patch things up. Of course, it wasn't the worst thing that had happened to me, I'd been in accidents before, I'd almost died before, I'd lost beloved pets before so I wasn't depressed or anything, but I wasn't happy.

My mother dated all kinds of men after that point; sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night and hear them – we lived in a small house – and sometimes they'd be there in the mornings but they never stuck around long.

The longer my mother went out of a stable relationship, the longer she had to care for me alone, the more broken she became. I was able to run rampant and do anything I pleased, so I did. I got myself into trouble, met some bad people, got wasted a couple of times. Mother never questioned it when I didn't come home.

When I was fourteen, almost fifteen, something bad happened. A pill was slipped into my drink and suddenly all the people around me, the older boys who helped me become a bad person, they betrayed me. I was out of it, passed around like a collection plate and when I woke up, I was kicked out. I had been used by the ones I trusted and abandoned soon after but the feeling I got from the experience, was one I began to crave as I got older.

The feeling of being wanted, needed, useful. Even just for a moment, a couple of hours at the most. Even if it only lasted a second, that feeling became like a drug to me as I grew up and I searched for it everywhere.

My mother had been in a relationship for six months before I went to high school and it was _his_ idea to send me to that school. Not that it mattered; I still got wasted, I still got up to no good, I still had a whole other secret life away from my family and away from my new friends. I got involved with older guys, a lot of older guys.

By the time I was sixteen, I was so broken up, inside and out, that I couldn't stay alone in a room without crying. No, I had to be somewhere loud and full of people, even if I were lost in a crowd, being around all the people made me feel noticed and necessary, like I was a part of the world.

I was alone, battered and broken, ugly and meaningless. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep properly and sometimes – most of the time – I'd end up passing out from the exhaustion.

Still I ran, walked, limped, crawled my way from bed to bed, longing to make someone happy; longing to find happiness and acceptance in the arms of someone else while my mind was clouded by drugs and alcohol.

What I said to Sasuke was true; all of those men, they said they loved me, my hair, my eyes, my smile, my body. I wanted to believe them. More than anything I wanted to believe what they said, and so I did. I clung to their every word and defended them to my friends.

Hidan told me to let him in on it, he was always looking for a party but I told him to fuck off. Tobi said he didn't like to see me so hurt and I snapped at him, telling him it was none of his business and that he didn't know the real me. Itachi told me that whatever I wanted, he wouldn't object. I hated him so much for that.

I knew I'd hit rock bottom when I woke up in the hospital. Intentional overdose on some kind of pill, a painkiller I'd gotten from one of my numerous partners. The note simply said, _"what have I left to live for, I can't even find hope."_

After that, my friends ended up kidnapping me, in a sense. Really they only locked me in my room – after installing bars on my windows – and took turns making sure I didn't somehow get out. They did that to make sure I got all the toxins out of my body.

They force fed me and whatever I didn't throw back up, helped a lot.

They forced me to see a shrink; they literally tied me down the first few times and made me talk about my problems.

Slowly, just like Itachi, I got better but the memories of what I'd done still would remain in my mind and the internal, mental scars from those horrible experiences would stay with me forever. But truly, I know I could never have been luckier than to have friends like the ones who saved my life.

"I wouldn't be surprised if some of the drugs you took were some of the ones I sold," Sasori said.

He wasn't looking at me and the empty can of Pepsi he held had been all but destroyed as I told him of my past.

"Danna?" I asked quietly, still he didn't look at me, he merely twitched, "h-have you changed you mind, un?"

"No. if anything I think it's even more necessary now that we do this," he said.

I stayed quiet, processing his words, wondering what he thought of me now that he knew the truth. I wouldn't think very highly of me if I were him and in fact sometimes I didn't think highly of myself anyway.

"Oh… b-because I'd understand, un. You wouldn't be the first to do it. I've long since condemned myself to die alone, un."

He did something unexpected then, something that shocked me. He smiled; he looked right at me and smiled.

"Stupid brat," he said, "You know, I had condemned myself to the same thing before you came along. I don't know what it is, just something about you makes me feel… brave. Brave enough to do something incredibly stupid."

"b-but," I tried to speak probably but I was lost for words.

"Look brat, it doesn't matter what you've done in your past. And I don't care how many people you were with before, just as long as I get to be the last."

I nodded as it seemed the only thing I could do, "O-okay, un."


	20. Part 20

**Yay it's sorta coming to an end! there will be two more chapters after this. some of the things in this chapter will be a little confusing, but all will be explained, i promise. hells this took me so long to write! i've been up for twelve hours trying to write this (granted, i was also watching that Disney movie... the one with the rat...)**

**just out of curiosity, who thinks they know where this is going? cause i sure as hell don't.**

**WARNINGS: um.. slight yaoi. swearing. bad goodbyes. and worst of all; cliffhanger.**

**DISCLAIMER: oh, the things i would do if i owned Naruto/Shippuden**

* * *

_CHAPTER TWENTY – Deidara's P.O.V_

Two days away couldn't have come sooner. I was no longer full of fear and doubts, having been accepted by somebody other than those who were damaged and so were forced to love me for lack of other people to care about. Though in a way he was just as broken up inside as I was. He had seen things, heard things and done things that he hated himself for. And sometimes the memories would keep him up, just like mine would often do to me.

It was horrible because in the end all I really wanted to do was sleep.

Well I would get my sleep son; my eternal dream. And I would fall right alongside Sasori. Fall into the blissful unknown.

The day started like any other. But see this wasn't just another day. It was my last in this dead end word and I smiled accordingly.

I felt guilty that we would be leaving Konan in the midst of her pregnancy but Itachi had already explained to me how the aftermath would benefit her in the end. We all knew she prayed for the Akatsuki to disband so her child could live a normal life but no end to it could be seen in the near future. Pein needed to _realize_ that being a criminal was _dangerous._

That wouldn't happen though, unless proof was presented to him.

Danna and I went to breakfast in the other apartment. That had really become a habit for me, one I wouldn't need where I was going. But it was nice to wake up every morning, to a homemade meal and a bunch of people I had grown to care about.

Sure, there were many things I was going to miss but also a lot of things I wouldn't be sad to leave behind.

"Pein un, are there any missions today?" I found myself asking for what would be the last time ever.

Missions were one of those things I would miss sometimes and sometimes not. There had been quite a few in the last two days, which was good for keeping me busy between work and a final meeting with Sasuke. You know, that boy wasn't actually so bad…

Oh god, death was making me go soft!

"No," Pein said, "I've already given today's missions away to Hidan and Kisame."

It was just as well, I suppose. I'd rather spend my last day here, at work with Konan, then on a stupid mission stealing from people who probably didn't deserve it. (Although some, like that bastard who shot me, probably did.)

I went to work after breakfast, just like I would on a normal day. Itachi took Konan and me to the café, which I had grown accustomed to but I couldn't convince myself to like it. Especially since on my first day working there, Sasori was shot outside of it, in an effort to protect me.

So I had a mixture of good and bad moments here. A lot of Konan's missions had been centered around this place, and I was always roped into helping her, which was fun but things didn't always go right and more than often, we'd get out with a few small injuries.

No I definitely wouldn't miss the café but I would miss Konan dearly.

She wasn't as happy and talkative as she used to be. In fact, she barely spoke at all through the course of the day.

Of course, she would offer small, fake smiles to customers; just the way I used to while Danna was in the hospital. She was breaking under the pressure and it killed me that I wouldn't be there for her and that I couldn't tell her everything would be fine, without her choosing not to believe me. And if I told her that I _knew_ everything would be fine, she would try to stop me. Now I couldn't have that, could I?

We still spoke between customers, but her replies were always bitter and distant. Not a lot I could do really, but wait for a time in the future where I wouldn't be able to watch her be happy. Still, I could picture it in my mind and that was good enough to make it worth it.

I even went as far as to ask her, what she was hoping for; a boy or a girl. She only shrugged and told me as long as it was healthy, but that the baby's health wouldn't matter anyway because it probably wouldn't survive a year in the apartment building. She then went on a rant about how the place was falling apart.

It was possibly just her maternal instincts kicking in and telling her to find somewhere better to nest.

After a long, dragging day, I was picked up by Itachi and brought home for the final time.

We ate pizza – but not from that one place; they'd probably never deliver to us again – together in Itachi's apartment, we hung around and talked for a while. Everything was in place; Sasori had assured me of that before, so I guess this was kind of like goodbye?

Eh, I'm not very good at goodbyes. I never have been. But the sentiment is already there, I suppose, and they can all just put their own words in place of mine.

It was about six when we decided to call it a night. Pein and Konan had already left, on account of Konan feeling _sick_ – though I was sure she just didn't want to stick around and deal with us at the moment. I'd said a simple goodnight to them, because they didn't need to know in a moment I'd be marching to my own end. It was a heavy burden to force onto one as blind as Pein or as torn as Konan.

But there was the small matter of Itachi and Hidan. Danna gave me a few moments to say it, but I felt I might choke on my words. It had been so simple the first time around, just to leave a note. But no amount of written words could possibly say what was on my mind.

They stood staring at me, somewhat expectantly, false amusement shone in Hidan's eyes as I couldn't find the right words. Itachi decided to step in.

"We'll just call it '_goodnight',_ shall we?" he asked, almost gently.

I nodded, feeling for the first time since I moved here, that I was too weak to go through with something. Like I'd rather just stay here and face my trial and go to prison.

It was a life after all, but not one truly worth living.

"Yeah," Hidan said, a smirk on his face, he took my wrist in his hand and tapped my ring, "and never forget where you fucking came from."

Of course, the ring. I probably would've forgotten that part if not for his reminder. It was my mark; my Akatsuki symbol. Like a dog tag, they'd be able to identify me due to the ring I wore. The brand of the Akatsuki would follow me to my death.

"Thank you un," I said, my voice low and broken, "a-and goodnight."

I offered my most sincere smile before I turned away. I told myself it had to be this way, that there was no other way and I couldn't ever see them again. So I walked out without another word, before I was reduced to tears.

Seriously, how pathetic would that be?

I didn't want that to be their last memory of me. No way, I wanted to go out strong.

Danna was waiting for me out in the hall, smoking again since he'd fallen off the wagon the day after he decided to quit. He had already said his goodbyes, short and sweet was the way to go I suppose.

"You ready, un?" I asked, clearing my throat to fight away the pitiful tone.

He nodded, dropping the remains of his cigarette on the ground and stomping it out for good measure.

"As ready as I can be brat," he said. He must've seen the distraught look on my face, cause he took my hand in one of his while using the other to make me look at him, "are _you_ ready?" he asked.

I nodded as enthusiastically as possible, "yes un," I even gave a smirk, "lead me to my death Danna, un."

* * *

_Sasori's P.O.V_

This was it. My last day.

Well it was just like any other really. Though there were no missions or anything so I spent the day hanging around with Kakuzu at my place after we had planted the bomb and gotten everything done that needed to be. It was fairly uneventful until Hidan and Kisame got back, then I spent time with the three of them – though I really didn't know Hidan that well, it didn't detract from the mood.

Kisame was surprisingly emotional, when it came time to say goodbye. I got all of that crap out of the way before we actually had to leave. I knew the brat would try to postpone it as long as possible and I figured it wouldn't be nearly as bad as he made it out to be, but it was worse.

I'd never had to say goodbye to anybody before, because when I decided to leave a place, I just left. But this was a permanent move to a place I didn't know the name of. So I guess Kisame's reaction was justified. We'd been roommates for over three years before Itachi came along. In a sad little way, he was my best friend.

Kakuzu simply wished me good luck in my next life and Hidan said he'd pray for my soul but I doubted that would make any sort of difference though. I knew that if I went anywhere, I'd be going to hell. Yeah hell, for all of the bad things I'd done, I'd have to pay my dues in eternal suffering or something like that.

Not Deidara though. No he must've been some type of angel – not to be cliché or anything – because you could see it in his eyes, behind the layers of practiced innocence that masked the layers of life-long suffering; there was a form of purity that must only be attainable by angels.

Argh, even just thinking that makes me want to throw up. But at the same time I feel as though it _must_ be true.

We ate pizza as a last Akatsuki meal then I gave Deidara time to say goodbye while I had a cigarette – yeah, I'd fallen back off the wagon. When he came out, he looked like he was having doubts, I did my best to reassure him but I can't be certain if it worked.

Now this was the tricky part of our final masterpiece. Everything had to go perfect or none of it would matter at all. As it was, all we had was Hidan's word that Oto would be there. Those stupid, _greedy_ bastards had only given it a few months before returning back to that bank; the one Akatsuki had originally intended to rob.

The one Deidara had went to prison for.

Might as well take a few of them out for Akatsuki's sake while we're at it, right?

Under normal circumstances, I suppose a top security bank like Konaha's first, would've had an alarm on it. But not when there were already a swarm of scumbags inside. No doubt they would've planned long and hard for this, to take out anything that threatened their pathetic, personal gain. So it was no surprise that no alarms went off when Deidara picked the lock. They really should've updated to an electronic lock by now, but this was the good side of town so perhaps they were a little too trusting? And besides, the doors to the vaults _were_ electronically locked, only reachable to those whose thumbprints matched.

Hidan had informed me that Oto had a contact within the police so it wasn't inconceivable that they could've gotten that thumb back from evidence. Why else would they be here, if there was no way for them to gain anything from it?

"I'm curious Danna un," Deidara said quietly, smiling slightly when he heard the door _click_, "just how far did you plan this ahead?"

I smirked slightly though there was nothing real behind it, "I know how it starts and how it has to end but anything could happen between now and then," I told him honestly.

"I'll just have to trust you then, un?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess you will."

As we entered the building, I quickly noted that the cameras were all off. Good. They were probably playing a loop of some sort.

Deidara took his time looking around, as if he'd never been in a bank before. It was boring really; the floors were carpeted, the walls were beige, there were glass barriers between the main area and the counters, but that was to be expected. It was kind of dark though but that didn't matter; we were both accustomed to such things.

We walked for a while and it wasn't long before I heard voices; arguing voices. There was a girl and a couple of guys, arguing about what they would do with the money. The girl wanted to take it all and run while one of the guys was going on about how their boss would kill them. However, the other claimed he really didn't care what happened.

Deidara and I shared a look and both drew guns. Though we knew we'd be outnumbered and – falsely – outmatched, we kept going till we were face to face with three Oto scumbags.

Ukon, of course he'd be here.

He smirked at us and said, "Well, well, look who came to play."

The girl rolled her eyes and made an annoyed noise, "really? What else could go fucking wrong right now?"

While the other guy, Kimimaro, said nothing.

The three of them already had their guns drawn and I was counting on that. they pointed their weapons at us while Deidara and I pretended to be peeved by the action, acting as though we didn't know what to do.

"You shouldn't have come here tonight," Ukon said teasingly, "little kids like you in a place like this, something bad might end up happening."

"Shut up Ukon!" Tayuya growled, "Quit playing with them and grab the money," she glared in our direction and said, "Both of you, put the guns away."

Deidara and I shared a look of masked satisfaction with the way things were going, and did as we were told.

Tayuya wore her own look of smugness and looked us both us and down, "Akatsuki's been stepping out of line lately," she mused out loud, circling us like a shark does its prey, "it's been awfully _cute_ and all but I think it's time I put you all back in your place."

And accordingly, Deidara played the part of rebellious hostage.

"I'd like to see you try un," he said, "you wouldn't be able to find our place if I shoved it down your throat."

And even though his words made barely any sense, they still got to her. Since we had Hidan on our side, we knew she was somewhat of a hot-head. And predictably, she got mad and hit Deidara, right in his pretty face. And to be honest, _not_ shooting her right then and there was probably the hardest thing I'd ever had to do.

But the brat kept playing his part and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Is that all you got, un?" he asked with a bloodied smirk, "you hit like a girl!"

And despite the fact that she was a girl, Tayuya hit him again, in the stomach this time he fell to the ground, still smirking though, clutching his stomach in a way that made the light hit his ring.

"What is that?" Tayuya asked, grabbing his hand and looking suspiciously at the shiny blue cap. Deidara pulled his hand away quickly and said, "It's nothing to you."

Tayuya pulled the ring off of his finger and hit him again, sending him fully to the ground.

I fought back a growl as she turned to me, while sliding the ring onto her own finger.

"What is this?" she asked, pointing her gun at me.

I played the part of good hostage and answered.

"It's our mark. We're part of the Akatsuki and these," I showed my own ring, "stand as proof."

She laughed, "Oh you have one too. How _cute_."

She hit me as well – and I was forced to take it – and stole my ring, tossing it at Ukon who laughed and slid it onto his finger.

Idiots. Their greed would be their undoing.

She waved her gun over at Kimimaro and said, "Take them to the security room and keep them there until we're done. I'll figure out something when I get there but for now, I want them alive."

Kimimaro was a good little boy and did as he was told, pointing his gun at me and hoisting Deidara to his feet, he led us – though he had to _drag_ Deidara – into the security room where he shoved us to the ground and took a seat. There were a few passed out bodies on the ground, of security guards that had been knocked out sometime near the beginning of the night.

Deidara leaned on my shoulder, an _almost_ serene smile on his face. He whispered softly, "well we made it this far Danna, I'm proud of us."

"Yeah brat, I thought at least something would've gone wrong," I whispered back.

I felt the detonator in my pocket.

The bomb was planted in the center of the building; everything in it would be obliterated.

This was it.

Goodbye Oto.

Goodbye Akatsuki.

Goodbye dead-end world I'd never even liked to begin with.

I placed a gentle kiss on Deidara's lips, already feeling this world slip between my fingers.

I closed my eyes and pressed down the button on the detonator.

* * *

**CLIFFHANGER! but i'm sure you all know what's happening next right?**


	21. Part 21

**Second to last chapter...**

**DON'T HATE ME FOR THE WAY THIS TURNED OUT!**

***sighs* it sucks because i had this really long, awesome scene written where i made Deidara wear a dress (i'm a sucker for Deidara in a dress) and i had to cut it due to plot changes! Dx IT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCENES!**

**Uh... unfortunately, there can be no sequal, there WILL be an epilogue though. and also, i'm in the process of writing another Akatsuki fic which will be uploaded tomorrow when i upload the last chapter of this ^^ um.. not that i'm expecting anyone to care.**

**DISCLAIMER: I Do Not Own Naruto/Shippuden, unfortunately.**

* * *

_CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE – Sasori's P.O.V_

_BOOM!_

The bomb went off in a burst of colors.

Red. Orange. Yellow. And I even saw sparks of blue.

I knew that if he was awake, the brat would no doubt say how beautiful he though this whole thing was. I know he liked things like that; explosions and the like.

As it was, he had fallen asleep leaning on my shoulder.

I felt bad for those people, if only for a moment, since I was after all, destroying their money. But whatever, I'm sure insurance would cover it.

So that was it. I was dead. Officially anyway.

They would find _my_ body in that bank, or its charred remains anyway. They would find the ring on _my_ finger and the Akatsuki would take care of the rest.

Tayuya and Ukon would be found wearing our rings on their burnt out skeletons, which Itachi and the others would insist we were wearing when we left, they'd even have rings of their own to compare ours to. Forensics would find Deidara's blood on scene and assume there was a fight, Hidan would insist Tayuya and Ukon were lovers and were planning to run away with the cash.

Meanwhile the dead bodies of three Oto scumbags would be right under their noses.

You see, that bomb had a detonator, but it wasn't instant. It would go off exactly three and a half minutes after I hit the button.

So with Tayuya wearing Deidara's ring and Ukon wearing mine, the brat and I had three and a half minutes to get out alive. It was tricky to shoot Kimimaro without getting shot myself, but the kiss served as enough of a distraction for Deidara to get a bullet through his head.

From there the plan was pretty straight forward; run.

I had already gotten us a couple of tickets on a train. Heading nowhere, or everywhere, I'm not really sure. So once we were out of the building, that's where we went.

Tobi and Zetsu work as counterfeiters, they made us whole new identities so in all truth that meant Deidara and I _had_ died that night. But we were also reborn and given a new chance, away from the crime life and away from criminal charges and away from the dead-end lives we used to live.

I remember when Itachi first told me his plan. I thought he was crazy, but anyone would've thought the same at first.

Faking your own death should be an absolute last resort but when I really took the time to think about it, I realized it _was_ our only choice. Because no matter which way you looked at it, somebody was going to prison unless we went through with it.

I wonder what life will be like this time around?

It seemed like I had already lived a thousand lives.

I had been a son. A cousin. A nephew. A gang member. A murderer. A criminal. And now I would start a new life with the brat. What would that be like?

I watched the world I used to know; the city lights, the tall glass and metal buildings, the hospital, the prison, the cemetery, I watched it all float past, caught up in the burning glow of the bank fire.

I wondered briefly how Konan would react when she heard. When she heard that I was dead.

And Pein too, what would Pein do?

Well the idea was for him to suddenly realize that the Akatsuki was _dangerous_ but I wasn't sure that would be the initial outcome. Maybe one day though, one day I'd wake up to a world without groups like that…. a _peaceful_ world.

I feel asleep like that; my mind filled with wishful thoughts.

* * *

_Deidara's P.O.V_

When I woke up, we were on the road.

I guess I'd slept a little too long last night as it appeared to be at least midday. But I'd say I deserved a long sleep. After all, I'd just been killed.

How wonderful it was that on my official records, it would say I was killed by an explosion.

Sasori had gotten us a car with some of the Akatsuki money. We had new identities now. Tobi and Zetsu specialized in making new lives; new identities and now Sasori and I had the papers to prove we weren't who we used to be.

The radio was on; they were discussing what happened last night.

_"So you're saying it's a possibility that this could be a case of murder/suicide?"_

_"Yes I believe this is a strong possibility. One of the bodies found was identified to be Deidara Iwa, on trial for breaking and entering, assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder. He was facing a life sentence so it just makes sense for him to do something like that."_

_"And what of the other people, the others caught in the blast?"_

_"Well I believe he may have wanted to go out with a _bang_, excuse the pun. But with what he have on him, he doesn't seem the type to go quietly…"_

The voices continued to drone on and I smiled contently. I couldn't believe they were actually buying it and that I had actually gotten away with this! It was the perfect pan I suppose and now I was free from everything!

I sat up slowly, my body ached from being curled up in a ball for so long but I hardly minded. Sasori glanced sideways at me, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth but no words were needed and so none were said.

Where were we going? I didn't know; all I knew was that freedom was just around the corner.

This was my ending, Deidara's ending but it was our beginning. A beginning for me and Danna, a couple of kids who just didn't know any better.

The fight with my step-father is a really long and dull story, not worth mentioning at all really. But in a way, I'm glad it happened and that I got kicked out of the house and that all the bad things in my life happened. Because if they didn't, if even one thing in my life had been different, I'm convinced I never would have met or fallen in love with Sasori.

And if I had to suffer for twenty-years before something amazing finally happened, well I'm just glad I made it through.


	22. Epilogue

***sighs* finalness.. uh i thought this was the only way to do it..**

**my new fic will be up by the end of the night (cause it... nighttime here...)**

**DISCLAIMER:for the last damn time i do not own.**

* * *

_EPILOGUE – Sasori's P.O.V_

It had been a full year since the brat and I _died_.

I was enjoying this new type of life; one where I didn't have to constantly look out for the demons of my past. Because I had no past and that was refreshing.

I got a real job. For the first time in my life I was able to sustain a real job for more than a few months and that felt good. Deidara got a job as well, working with explosives, I thought it was a little dangerous perhaps but he was happy with it and that made me happy.

We'd settled down in an apartment for now, though we didn't live in a _big_ city, we lived in a place big enough to lose all of our troubles. It was the perfect beginning to a perfect new life, even if everything wasn't always so perfect. But even perfection must have its flaws, correct?

Or maybe not. Replaying that in my mind, it seems a little complicated huh?

And the best thing about my new life? I didn't feel so empty anymore!

Back then, back when I first joined the Akatsuki, I had absolutely nothing left to lose. I just wanted something to fill my time. Not willing to live but too afraid to die. That was me.

And Deidara as well, I knew he felt the same at first. As though he were just floating through this world with no real purpose. That was after all, why I liked him to begin with. It _certainly_ is true. Misery _does_ love company.

But today wasn't one of those perfect days where we had no worries and no past. Uh-uh, today was the day we went back to face the consequences.

It was a _long_ silent trip. Deidara didn't say a thing, he hadn't since we heard what had happened. Heard, read, whatever. It was all the same.

See, we thought that by going through with our stupid little plan, the Akatsuki would disband, there would be no more violence – at least, not towards people we cared about – and most of all, Konan would have the best life possible for her and her baby. But apparently not.

Just as previously expected, a war broke out between Akatsuki and Oto. With our help, it might've been possible for Akatsuki to win, but we were officially dead and Oto was ruthless. They didn't care whether they lived or died. They didn't care about anybody else, they were all blinded by an insatiable want for power – something tells me their leader recruited them that way – and so Akatsuki was really no match.

And it _was_ full on war. No rules or anything, not even Konan and her baby were safe. Bombs were set off – by Oto only since the Akatsuki bomb specialist was gone – people were brutally murdered – actually a lot of the dead people had come from Oto, because Akatsuki had an immortal and a closet criminal mastermind on their side – and a lot of public destruction was caused.

Akatsuki managed to stay out of major trouble. They were injured occasionally but it was never anything serious until…

Well that's why we were going back.

If it was my choice, we wouldn't be going back at all but Deidara demanded it.

He was shattered. Destroyed. I'd never seen him looking so completely broken. No matter what happened to him back in Konaha he had always found some well of strength deep down to keep on going, but reading what he read changed all of that. It had been about three days and he had barely done anything except sleep or sit around and stare at a wall. He wouldn't even eat the jelly babies I bought for him.

The train came to a stop. I thought it would seem like less time if we took the train but it still felt the same and it still dragged on like nothing. It was more painful than when… no, I wasn't meant to think about my past anymore and so I wouldn't.

It was about a ten minute walk from the train station to the church but those ten minutes felt like hours in the unnatural silence. I just wanted to get this over and done with so I didn't have to worry about being recognized and so that Deidara would go back to normal.

There were many, _many_ cars parked outside the church, people were filing in, all dressed in black. It was a very sad day indeed and though black looked unnatural on us; we arrived clad in the dull color.

We sat at the back of the church and waited for the proceedings to start. It wasn't until they did that Deidara started _living _again. At first it was just a few tears, and then he was full on crying. I could really only sit there and hold him, and tell him it was going to be okay.

But I suppose if I had lost someone like that, I would've been the same way.

Then when everybody had spoken, saying such _wonderful_ things, and it was over, they stood up and moved into the other room, presumably to eat. Deidara and I stayed in the main room, just sitting there for a while.

He was calm now, though I don't think he could've cried more even if he tried.

"Come-on, you can say goodbye now without all those people watching," I told him quietly. He nodded and stood, albeit weakly, and stumbled over to the front of the room, where a coffin lay, closed because apparently it was a messy death.

I helped him over and gave him space, though I could still hear everything, it wasn't something I needed to be a part of.

The brat cleared his throat, sniffling a little, rubbing his nose, red from crying. He smiled a bitter little smile.

"I hate you… _so_ much, un." the words were so simple but might've been a shock had anybody else been present. I knew he'd say something like that, considering who he was speaking to. "like seriously un, if they were to write a book about how much I hate you right now, they'd need to make at least three sequels."

He paused for a moment before letting out a little bitter laugh, "and this is the point where you'd usually ask me if that was all I had, un. And I'd get angry because you were always so much smarter than me un. Huh, I can admit that now can't I? Cause you're dead. I can't believe you're dead… I can't believe you had a cooler death then me, un!" again he paused, "you know that means now I have to kill Sasuke, right?"

Then somebody cleared their throat from the doorway. It was so familiar, such a familiar sound but it couldn't possibly be –

"Nice turn out, huh?"

Deidara turned around instantly, hearing that voice. His eyes were still filled to the brim with unshed tears but now they turned dark and full of anger.

"What the hell, un?" he asked quietly. Then in a flash of yellow, he had crossed the room and was hugging what I guessed must've been a ghost?

"You sick bastard, un. Why would you go to your own funeral? I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, UN!"

Itachi smirked slightly, returning Deidara's hug a little awkwardly. "That's the point," he said, "you're supposed to think that."

"But why, un?" Deidara's voice was low now.

"Come-on, I'll show you why."

With no idea what was going on, I followed the two outside. The Akatsuki – or what was left of it – were standing out there. Konan was cradling her baby and she was actually smiling. Pein was signing something on the hood of a car, while the Oto leader stood by.

They were doing business at a funeral?

"The Akatsuki only got worse after the two of you died," Itachi informed us, "but they're disbanding now. Pein is signing an agreement with Oto and all it took was one more death."

"But then, how're they gonna support the kid?" I asked, speaking when it felt like my voice wouldn't allow me to.

"he's going to take my job," Itachi answered, "he's qualified after all, just thought it'd be easier to be a criminal."

"Well what about Hidan and Kakuzu, un? They're like, made to be criminals."

"They're going to try working with Tobi, that probably won't last but I know they won't get into too much trouble."

"And Kisame?"

"He didn't come today because he said it was a little morbid," Itachi frowned as though he didn't think so, "but we're leaving, don't know where we're going but he's free of the Akatsuki now and that's all that really matters."

Right then I saw an idea form in Deidara's mind and I predicted his next words.

"Oh my god un, there's a vacant apartment right next to ours, you should move in!" he exclaimed, "that would be freaking awesome un, then I'd be able to make sure you didn't get yourself into any more trouble!"

Itachi looked almost surprised and then he actually smiled, "you'll keep _me_ out of trouble? I highly doubt that and besides, don't you ever want to make new friends?"

"Hell no! I want to have the same friends forever, un!"

Itachi sighed though there was really nothing behind it, "alright then," he said, with fake disdain, "where's this apartment you speak of?"


End file.
